


An Adventure At Last!

by Invalid_Username



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-17
Updated: 2014-03-01
Packaged: 2017-12-08 19:02:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 59
Words: 53,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/764918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Invalid_Username/pseuds/Invalid_Username
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A bad title. I'll come up with one at some point. So this would be the version where Belle isn't captured by Regina, but doesn't make it back to Rumpelstiltskin either, much as she wants to. She gets her adventure first.</p><p>I own nothing :)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Belle had walked with them for a while, since Phillip had joined their party she had been supporting him and his wound as best she could, and at last Mulan's village had become visible in the distance. It wasn't a very intimidating place; the buildings were less ornate than the ones in the small town where she had almost been forced down the well, and far less stable than the structures back in Avonlea. Even the ones on the very outskirts of town. Despite the guards patrolling the area like ants, the place didn't seem like one to strike fear into your heart. Mulan said those guards were soldiers that had gone, as she had herself, to fight the ogres that spread into their kingdom. Of course that was before a small Lord's estate in the Marshlands had been reclaimed, somewhere further north-and-west, and the beasts had been steadily driven back.

Belle said nothing of the deal she had made for her people.

Throughout the brief journey Mulan had said little other than a sparse greeting to the Prince that now walked beside her, but Belle chatted away, switching her conversation at regular intervals between the two of them. It took less than half an hour to get where they wanted to go: the fringes of the forest where Belle would leave them, and the Warrior and the Prince were truly sorry to see her go. After an exchange had been made - Belle’s book for Mulan’s sword - Belle began the short hike back up the hill, listening in on her companion’s subdued argument, though she could barely hear it. It sounded something like "Safety... honour... Aurora". Belle smiled at the last part. No doubt the Prince would be reunited with his lost Princess soon.

The woods the trio had travelled through were more sparsely dotted with trees than the forests that Belle was accustomed to. The forests she stole into as a child (hunting for unicorns, which she never found) had tall trees with silver bark, some kind of birch that she had never gotten around to identifying. The flowers there had been much more interesting, so many different kinds. Not to mention the elusive unicorns.

The Dark Forest had trees of a different kind, a creepy kind with smooth trunks but sharp branches; branches which seemed to try to pull her back, even when Rumplestiltskin had let her go. Even the trees wanted her around more than he did. Coward. Belle sniffed.

These trees were kinder than Rumplestiltskin‘s, the branches far reaching but unobtrusive, and the bark a warm brown. Running her fingers along the bark, Belle found patterns of sap and hunter's marks. These woods, unlike the birches near Avonlea, stood tall and proud, unaffected by the ogres that the village's soldiers had gone to fight, many many miles away. The Unicorn Forests near her childhood home were all but flat now, splintered wood decorating the brush. Too few trees remained within the borders of her father's lands, and Belle had not been allowed to go outside after the war began in earnest.

Belle sighed, as she had done a great many times on this journey, and in her distraction she stumbled over a small ditch in the soil, probably marking the end of the village's lands. She'd stepped in it walking in the other direction, too. At least she hadn't fallen over any roots _yet_ , although she was certain she was going to twist her ankle, carrying on like this.

Reaching the top of the hill, both ankles intact, thank you very much, Belle looked back at Mulan. The former soldier was already walking a little steadier, accustomed to her newest war wound, and was gradually edging away from a clearly disgruntled (even from this distance) Prince Phillip. She smiled and turned the other way, toward the castle of her True Love.

True Love. Even saying the two little words in her mind was enough to make her heart flip, and it startled her to a decision. She began her journey through the night back to her home (not to her Father, to her home), gazing up at stars that had looked the same from the Great Hall. “I’m coming back Rumple." She couldn't help but say those words out loud.

Her blood froze and her heart stuttered as familiar, venomous voice cooed at her from behind;

"Isn't that sweet."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I think a Monday-Wednesday-Friday schedule aught to work out. I guess we'll see :) This is the second chapter, which I changed my mind about when it came to posting. And that changes about half of what I have so far. Oh well :) Enjoy ^-^
> 
> The face behind the mysterious voice is revealed (kind of. Who could it be? :O ) and Belle's adventure takes a turn for the worse.

Belle tripped over a root.

She regained her balance (but not her dignity) and turned slightly to face the speaker.

"Still fighting for True Love. Even to the bitter end." This last part was accompanied by an enthusiastic arm gesture, but the tone in her voice was more than a little mocking, a voice Belle had certainly never expected to hear again.

"How did you find me?" Belle queried, mistrust etched across her face.

The dark haired woman, dressed as elegantly as she had been upon their first meeting, merely raised her eyebrow and flicked her gaze towards a man stood by a horse, who glared defiantly back. Even stood like that, unassuming and fearful, Belle recognized the man that had shoved her from the cart, and she blinked in shock (he even wore the same hat). But her gaze was drawn to what was before the man (Claus, or Claude?) - an iron cage set upon wheels, with space just enough for a person to comfortably sit in, but not stand.

If they were any taller than Belle, that is.

She was dragged back from her musings to the present when rough hands grabbed her shoulders and started to _physically_ drag her, her boots digging furrows into the earth. Her book fell, unnoticed, to the ground, as the men forced her towards the cage. Terror surged through her as she began to struggle. "N.. no, what are you, what are you doing? I can save him! Just let me go to him..." Belle's breath hitched, her voice dragging up in pitch as the man squeezed his arms around her stomach to silence her, her feet lifting inches from the ground. Her own arm reached out toward the woman in red, begging for help, for mercy or freedom. She was granted none as Claus-Claude helped the man shove her into the cage. That bastard... Belle snarled at him as he slammed the door shut with a smirk, locking her in.

She vaguely heard the woman claiming Rumplestiltskin to be a monster 'beyond saving' (something about a lifetime of pain and misery), but it all fell on deaf ears. Belle grasped the bars with gloved hands and shook them, chanting under her breath "I'll never stop fighting for him" to a back that was already turned, the witch's horse inching forward, desperate to be away. One of the guards hit her with the flat of his sword to silence her, and she stepped back from the bars (the top of her head brushing her new roof).

Belle realized, belatedly, that her book was no longer in her hand as the cage began to move. As her cast-iron carriage trundled over twisted roots and broken branches (she stumbled again (this time not her fault as the world began to move around her), falling to her knees) she spotted it abandoned in the dirt, clearly having already been trodden on by the ignorant fool she'd sent to the lake. Such a ridiculous idea, she thought in hindsight, to conceal a dagger among the pages of a book. And it was such a beautiful thing... Oh well. At least she still had the one Mulan had given her hidden in her boot.

It wouldn't be much use, though. The men each had their own swords, and while Belle wouldn't kill them, the woman on the horse would probably let them kill her. If she couldn't beat them alone, she would just have to call for help. Because really, how far away could Phillip and Mulan possibly be?

As it turned out, it was quite far indeed.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter three :) enjoy ^-^

Belle spent less than ten minutes shouting, screaming their names ("MULAN! PHILLIP! MULA-AN!"). It didn't have the desired effect. Less than 10 seconds into her yelling, the guards started to hit her with branches they picked up off the forest floor. They hit her back, her sides, her legs. Twigs clawed at her face and caught it her hair, scratching her cheeks.

She tried to fight the pain, and kept calling for as long as she could bear it, but quite soon she was on her knees and wailing. Her gloved hands (the gloves now hanging in tatters) gripped the bars ever tighter with every blow, as the guards swapped broken branches for steel swords. They weren't hitting her with the flats anymore.

Claus-Claude took a torch from one of the other men, and thrust it through the bars. It caught Belle in the ribs, burning through her clothes and scarring her skin. With luck her clothes didn't catch alight, but it was very little consolation for the searing pain. That was when she passed out, crumpling onto the cage floor.

-

Two days in and this was hell already. They couldn't reach her face as she shielded it with her arms, but the rest of her body was decorated with spreading flowers of red. Belle's arms had deep gashes in them, and her back was pinpointed with pain. Every now and again the Queen (what else could she be, riding like that) would look back with a look of triumph in her eyes that made Belle want to claw her own out. Beside her walked a man with a sparse beard and an accent Belle couldn't place (and a wolf with black and red eyes) and they seemed to be discussing the weather, although they only mentioned how damned charming the snow was. Needless to say Belle was confused. 

But she didn't move. Any sudden movements got her a new bruise or stab wound. It wouldn't be that long before she bled out. Belle was sure she had read something about exsanguination somewhere...

She let out a sigh and her muscles slackened, the world going black.

-

_It was black in this room, a blackness she had never known. When she woke up, she didn't quite understand at first. She always kept a fire burning in the grate or a candle by her bed when she slept, to better read by. If ever the maids woke her up (which wasn't often, she was a morning person), they would do so by throwing the curtains open and letting the sunlight rest on her face. She rolled over on her uncomfortable mattress, and rolled onto air. The breath _whooshed_ out of her as her body hit the floor. There was a twittering in the corner._

_"Rise and shine dearie! The castle won't clean itself!"_

_Of course. The deal she had made. Belle raised herself off the floor, rubbing the back of her head, but the source of the mocking voice was already gone._

_Months later, and she forced herself off the cold stone once more, bruises darkening her arms. She looked in the eyes of the only man she could ever love, then stalked out the door with a broken heart, leaving him with his (and a chipped cup). She slammed the great oak doors, and left the castle of her love in favor of an adventure._

Belle opened her eyes to darkness once more, this one made more intimidating by the light she couldn't see, the flickering torches behind her. As the darkness threatened to consume her once again, her head hitting the moving floor with every lurch of the carriage, she saw the weak light flicker off something metal hidden among the trees. She heard a battle cry, and then slipped back into her dungeon. 

_"My power means more to me, than you..."_


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 4 ^-^ Am I rushing through this storyline? Hmm..

At the cry - more of a strangled yell, to be honest - Regina turned her horse around to see an armor-clad figure leap out from among the trees, sword in hand. Gods be damned, she should have just transported them to her castle with magic. Was it to much to ask for the wretched girl to suffer a little? She sighed and watched with a bored expression as the Warrior fought toward the cage where the demon's whore was crumpled on the floor, dagger clasped in her unconscious hand.

Trust her men to not check their prisoners for weapons. You would have thought they'd have learnt by now.

Strangely, though, her men were not winning the fight against this lone swordsman - in fact they were losing. Magnificently. She made the decision to lend her assistance.

Regina's feet landed primly beside one another as she launched her right leg over her horse's back. The soldier had a companion now, a man in significantly less armor. Fools. They would both die, and poor, poor Belle would only suffer all the more. She raised her hand level to her head, a dark purple cloud swirling in her grasp, and she felt the power swell through her. She hurled it at the carriage.

But that ridiculous soldier leaped in the way! An unexpected development, as his sword swung down in an arc and the magic was, somehow, hurtling back towards its creator. Barely deflecting it herself, Regina took stock of the situation. 

Most of her guards were dead by now, not that she'd brought all that many with her, and that coward Claude was nowhere to be seen either. Only one, no two, of her guards were still in view, barely holding onto their swords as the second-arrival beat down upon them. The first-arrival had taken off his helmet so as to see better and was trying to break into the cage, Belle pressed into the far corner, the bars at her back. With a sword that powerful, it wouldn't take the man long at all. But then he flicked his head back to move his braid and Gods! It was a woman! Who taught these people to fight? A surprise rescue attempt... could this day get more frustrating?

Alas, it could. Because of course. Why not? That ridiculous fool-number-two had managed to chase away her other guards, and was protecting the woman (Gods!) as she broke Belle out. She recognized him as she finally got a good look at his face - her guards had probably _handed_ the torch over to him. He was Prince Phillip, the True Love of Maelificent's plaything. And they had an unspoken vow not to meddle in each others business-cough-revenge-cough. She couldn't kill him, or his companions, or the dragon would be after her. Damn-it.

Of course, Rumplestiltskin was a part of that deal too, and he would never deliberately make himself dragon's-bait. Regina smiled as she formulated. He wouldn't look for her here. And a simple spell would shield her aura from his magic. She could continue with her plan to inform him of her death (she was practically dying as it was), let that demon feel pain for once. Regina smiled wider.

And Regina disappeared.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 5 :) I think this is a shorter chapter? But they will get longer. Promise! :)

In the end, Mulan just cut the lock off. Belle shielded her face from the sparks, but didn't really move much more than that, even after the door swung open freely. That Prince (good for something, she supposed, getting rid of the remaining guards) moved into the cage, bending his knees slightly so that he could reach Belle. He lifted her and she practically fell into his arms, and Mulan rolled her eyes. She turned her head, looking for that woman, the one in command. She couldn't see her, but that didn't really mean anything. Leaving Phillip to his latest Damsel in Distress, Mulan quietly edged around the closest trees, trying to find a better angle to search for that evil bitch. After deciding a few moments silence and a fading haze of smoke was enough to confirm the witch was gone, Mulan checked the area again. A few of the soldiers had abandoned their weapons (a foolish thing to do, they'd want them later) and she took note of the horse standing abandoned in the clearing. She approached it, palm up. A docile enough creature, she supposed. They could use it to get Belle to safety. Speaking of which...

Mulan turned around and gasped in horror. Phillip had edged closer to her, clearly with the same plan for the horse, but wary that Mulan still held her sword tightly in her grip. In his arms he held Belle, who was fading not-so-slowly into unconsciousness, moaning as she went. Though her face was (relatively) unmarked, blood covered her arms, falling to the floor in dark strings and drops. It fell from her back, too. The Prince had abandoned his torch in favor of the girl (though she was the same age as, maybe older than, Mulan, she was so small she could barely be considered anything else, especially when weakened so), and had managed to smear blood on himself, even his chin, with the effort of picking her up. They couldn't assess all her injuries among the trees (the torch had gone out) and their own injuries had been forgotten after they'd heard Belle's cries. They would have to try and find the healer Mulan knew was nearby. Nearby meaning at least a mile away. (If the carriage/cage had been drawn by horses as opposed to bared by men, this whole endeavor would go much smoother. They would have to leave the cage behind.)

It was decided, after some debate as they walked, that the oh-so-noble Prince would make his way slowly on foot, and Mulan would go on the horse with Belle to the healer's cottage and the small town surrounding it. A barely-conscious Belle nodded her agreement as Mulan shed her armor (Phillip could carry it on his back) so they might move faster, wearing only a tunic and her breeches now. She scrambled onto the horse (not entirely gracefully, in her haste) and reached down so Phillip could transfer their companion into her arms. Belle hissed in pain as Mulan tugged her up in front of her, one arm around her stomach the other tightly gripping the horse's reins. Though it was clearly a safe creature (clearly to Phillip, at least), Mulan was convinced the woman's evil beast would throw her off. She made sure Belle was secure before she urged the horse into a trot, uncomfortably aware of the uneven ground and Belle's swaying. What she was increasingly more aware of, however, was Belle's blood, slowly creeping across her front.


	6. Chapter 6

In the end, they stayed at the healer's haven for eleven days short of a year before their journey continued.

On the first day (the sun had risen by the time Mulan had maneuvered that blasted woman's creature to the place she had frequented in her time as part of the army) Belle was taken in by the healer, her skin unceremoniously laid bare as the wizened old woman (at least it was a woman) took in her wounds. There were blisters on her feet: to be expected, Belle had admitted this was her first 'adventure', and her feet would be unaccustomed to the long distances she had traveled. There were shallow cuts on her legs: no surprise there, more than once Mulan had watched Belle walk absentmindedly into a thorn bush as they hunted the Yaoguai. Gashes across her arms: unfortunately no shock from that either, Mulan had seen some of them being inflicted by swords as she rushed to Belle's aid. Lashes across her back: she'd seen that happen too. For some reason what saddened Mulan, as the old woman's granddaughter tried and failed to get Mulan to stay still long enough to tend to her leg, were the bruises that dotted her friend's upper arms, conveniently covered by the fabric of her sleeves. Marks like that could only be caused by hands, the hands of a man if the size was anything to go by. A man with longer-than-long nails, that had gripped tighter-than-tightly.

By the second day Belle's wounds were cleaned and she was covered once more. The healer had set up one of the sick beds with thick blankets and goose-feather pillows. The Prince had trudged in (looking not even remotely princely, to Mulan's delight) and pretty much collapsed on the floor of the healer's hut, out of exhaustion and pain (Mulan was sure she'd at least _wounded_ the beast, so that was probably her fault). In his hands he tightly clasped a book with dirt trodden into the cover. That was to Mulan's delight, too.

By the third day the healer's granddaughter had given up on Mulan's leg, as per usual, and just gave her the same poultice she always did when Hua Mulan, the daughter turned soldier, suffering the aftermath of a battle that hadn't even been hers in the first place, came to the village. Phillip was still sleeping, lazy Prince that he was, and Belle was still resting, delicate creature that she was.

By the third month both Phillip and Belle had woken up, and had regular sleeping schedules (more regular than Mulan's, at least, who got up an hour before sunrise, to do whatever it was she did. Even Belle found this ridiculous, and she'd gone by Rumpelstiltskin's schedule, penciling in time every now and then to retrieve a book from his extensive library before breakfast). Phillip had explained his quest, to save his True Love, and the two women had agreed to help (although he had tried to dissuade them). Of course with Belle's wounds it was difficult to do anything or go anywhere, but Maleficent still thought Phillip was a four-legged fire-beast, so she'd leave Aurora alone and gloat for the moment (fingers crossed).

By the seventh month Belle was mostly healed and, with some kind of magic plant (she didn't really want to know), she had a good range of movement with minimal pain. Of course, they weren't really ready to go yet. Travel would be bad for her scars, and Belle insisted she know how to use a sword before the adventure really began ("I've fought a monster that wasn't really a monster, been beaten and locked in a cage and passed out, that's not an adventure!") and that took frustratingly longer than expected, Mulan and Phillip getting into near-violent fights one second, and laughing at Belle's poor form the next.

By the tenth month it was confirmed that the Evil Queen ("so she _was_ a Queen, I told you so Mulan!") had indeed threatened a newly-wed royal couple (which one they weren't sure, although both Snow White and Cinderella were apparently pregnant) with a Dark Curse that was likely to take place sometime in the next year. Belle wasn't really convinced the Queen had made it.

By the eleventh month Belle could use a sword, and Mulan's horse had returned after a prolonged abandonment when it had refused to approach ogres (a perfectly reasonable thing to refuse to do, in Belle's opinion). Phillip (his horse had trailed him whilst he was the Yaoguai, and turned up shortly after they did) had learnt to stop asking Mulan questions, and avoid the topic of True Love when around Belle.

By the twelfth month they received news that finally got them moving. The southern princess had been cursed (to death, it was said) and her Prince was nowhere to be seen. Phillip had no sisters, so the Princess could only really be Aurora. Barely five days passed before Mulan convinced various townsfolk to give them some money and supplies, packed up the three horses (they still had the Queen's) and set off with her companions (an hour before first light) to the Palace of the Sun. Because of course the place needed a name.

Honestly.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A shorter chapter. When the curse hits.

The sky was clear, a cold winter finally giving way to an almost-warm spring. It was 5 months since they had begun their quest in earnest, setting off from Mulan's village, and Belle was exhausted. Dust-the-great-hall-until-it's-spotless exhausted. She huffed. It was times like this she actually missed her Father's estate, closed off as it was. She missed her library. At least she knew it was safe from ogres. She'd discretely asked after Avonlea and its Lord Maurice after a month of bed-ridden boredom, and had learnt that No, the vengeful Dark One had not lifted the protective spell from the small kingdom. Yes, the ogres had been defeated. No, the Dark One had not done anything drastic or mass-murder-y. That was good, she supposed. Did he miss her like she missed him, a deep yearning within him that made it feel like a part of his heart was missing?

Probably not. She'd given her heart to him, but he'd refused to give his to her. And all Phillip's talk of his True Love was making her depressed.

Belle still wanted her books though. Sat whittling by the fire, as she was (this was a Dragon, it _was_ ), she had a lot of time to think (more than when she was reading, when her mind got caught up in wondrous stories). Regardless of what she started off thinking about (books, the weather, their quest. Her Dragon) her thoughts always ended up back in the Dark Castle. She should probably tell them she is _that_ Belle. They've mentioned her, once or twice, praising the one they call 'Lady Belle' for having the courage to sacrifice her life (they think she's dead, apparently) for all she loved. They respect that. Belle is just Belle to them, a girl but not a hero, and in hindsight that's probably better. They might cast her out if she knew of her connection to the Dark One. As far as she can tell he was indirectly linked to Mulan's father's death, and the sword she now wielded. Phillip was convinced he had something to do with the curse that had befallen Aurora.

Anyway.

All thoughts of True Loves aside.

Belle tried to focus on something, anything. So she admired the color of the sky. Such a wonderful shade of blue, deep and ever shifting. It looked like it was moving, gathering, climbing. Her Dragon (it ended up as Rumpelstiltskin, with deformed wings and an elongated snout) fell into the fire at her feet, a tiny plume of smoke unfurling around the rabbit Mulan had skinned earlier. Both she and Phillip had wandered off (separately, mind you) but Belle called them both back now. They arrived almost immediately, simultaneously, from different directions. And they looked where she pointed.

She was glad it was actually there this time, this heavy build-up of magic, forming a layered band in a dome across the sky. So often she'd imagined seeing magic. And the Queen (Regina, as it turns out). And Rumpelstiltskin. Always Rumpelstiltskin. That glad feeling didn't last though. As the barrier (what else could it be?) closed up in what looked to be a 50-mile radius (Avonlea wouldn't be covered, but the Palace of the Dawn would at least, and the healer's village), a dark green cloud rushed against it. A very intimidating cloud, that tugged at Belle's very soul, willing her into it. And then it drew back, and Belle continued to stare at the sky, her protectors-turned-family staring along with her. All thoughts of Aurora were banished from their minds.

And then they collapsed.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The curse begins. I'm probably being too brief and non-specific in these chapters, but I'm no good at long chunks of text. Sorry :D

The moment they woke up the three travelers continued on their quest.

They didn't get very far. One step forwards, and two steps back. It took three days for them to notice.

-

In these three days Regina had explored her new domain ( _Storybrooke_ ) and had enjoyed terrifying Snow White-turned Mary Margaret Blanchard. She'd sneered at a cricket, threatened the Dark One and told a Once-King that had once had gold pouring from his fingertips that if he was caught stealing food again he'd be arrested. 

He _had_ been caught, and had spent the night with a roof over his head, bunking with a grumpy dwarf.

-

It took them two weeks more to realize there was no way around it, and by then they'd traveled ten miles backwards by mistake. They'd been going zigzagging across the landscape from the start, almost immediately after they left the small healer and her extended family. Belle was just too curious, and Phillip didn't recognize the land enough to notice. Mulan couldn't care less if they reached their destination.

-

After six weeks Regina noticed something missing that she wished she had spotted straight away. There was no lowly assistant cowering at her feet (she had a mirror-genie; she wanted a prince). There was no dark-haired, dark-skinned woman for Leroy to pick fights with at the bar (and she'd prepared for that blasted warrior). There was no nurse on the night shift that went home to a baby she thought was hers that wasn't (the girl was probably still sleeping). But said baby wasn't there either (that wardrobe couldn't really have been a portal, could it?), and neither was the boy who should live at the convent, being taught right and wrong by a bunch of misguided nuns with an overwhelming sense of righteousness (perhaps he did get eaten by a whale?). What worried her most, though, was the distinct lack of patients (prisoners, not that they knew that) in the hospital basement. Nothing she could do about that now, though.

-

About three months into their backwards journey, the three came back to the narrow strip of land surrounded on three sides by freshwater. They were welcomed back by the healer, who was surprised to see them so soon. What they knew to be eight months felt like barely more than one. 

They decided to stay there, a place with enough land for crops and forest enough for game, until they could continue forth. Some unknown force was preventing them from reaching Aurora.

_

Regina soon settled into a routine, regardless of the missing people (where was the pawnbroker's one-handed assistant?), and woke up every morning next to a sleeping Graham, and walked into a stuttering Mary Margaret every afternoon. It was more than a bit monotonous, but at least Snow was separated from her Prince, and waiting for a happily-ever-after that she would never find. 

Misery at last.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yesterdays episode... Cannot wait until the finale!!
> 
> Anyway, sorry this chapter is so short, my exams start next week, so I'm kinda rushing through things. I'll try and keep to the schedule though :)

Belle noticed in the first year or so, although it took another ten for Mulan and Phillip to begin wondering how long they'd really been there; nobody got any older, the land didn't change, the seasons remained, nobody noticed… - time didn't move. Sometimes it felt like forever, other times it felt like a month and no more. The other people that had gathered at the camp, the sanctuary, were soon abuzz with the idea they were trapped here for an eternity, seemingly un-aging. Even Lancelot, a knight of the Round Table before all this, had a hard time calming down his new subjects when this idea got outs (Phillip wasn't commanding in the slightest, even Belle was louder than him when she wanted to be). In the end he consented to letting the Witch up from the jail (a hole in the ground, but a deep one) for a meeting so she could explain. She suggested the barrier had trapped them in a timeless state, and implied whoever had cast the thing had done them all a favor. She was soon thrown back in the Pit.

-

It _was_ a barrier after all. A blacksmith had gone as close as he could to the thing, and foolishly touched it. He made it to the camp about a year or so into the 'time-freeze'. He only had one hand now.

After that nobody left, except scouts and hunters. Nobody really wanted to, after the news of the barrier-threat, and the ogres that were roaming the lands once more, unable to reach their defended land. At least it was safe here.

-

Mulan and Phillip spoke to none of the people here, and didn't even try to learn their names. But Belle did. She knew them all. The one-handed man was Killian (they were good friends), there was a young woman named Ariel (she avoided Killian like the plague) who'd had her tongue cut out (but Belle knew some of the signs and gestures mutes commonly used, so they got by), as well as a twitchy woman named Gothel, a grinning man named 'Chesh', a friend of Mulan's named Mushu (who she very pointedly ignored) and so many more that arrived as time went by. Only the woman in the jail refused to communicate, but Belle knew from Lancelot (who had fought alongside Her grace Snow White) that she was Cora, and was incredibly dangerous. Belle didn't venture there often.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters today, 'cos I messed the order up :D Enjoy :3  
> Small time jump in the middle of this, but an obvious one :)

At a point that must have been around 18 or 19 years from that moment when the dark cloud rushed against the barrier, hunger returned. No-one had felt it whilst they had been completely frozen in time. But now they had to begin rationing and hunting as people no longer ate out of pleasure but rather out of necessity, survival. Starvation began, and the days began to differentiate from one another.

The people of the Sanctuary had their first rainfall in almost two decades.

-

Mr. Gold sneezed as he crossed the town line, but was relieved to find the migraine he had had upon leaving had subsided. He looked to the right of him, at the little bundled up child at his side. He had driven all the way to a place called ’Tallahassee’ to pick him up for the mayor, and was finally in his hometown again. When he had first picked the boy up he almost dropped him from the overwhelming sense of Déjà vu he experienced. Looking at the life in his arms… he couldn't help but feel he had stood this way before. But now he was here, and he picked up the baby being drowned by cloth. He slowly limped up the path to the mayoral manor.

-

There was being bored, and there was dying of boredom. Regina was definitely experiencing the latter. Snow White didn't even fight anymore! She just flinched, lowered her eyes and walked away. Everyone here feared her but nobody loved her and _every single day_ was the same. But that was about to change. Today she would have a child.

-

She hadn't wanted to let him go, but it would be cruel for her to keep him. She dropped her head into her hands and sobbed.

She just wanted him to have his best chance…

-

Miss Blanchard had been a bit nervous, as she had been each year, to have a whole new class of 30 students. But this year she had been especially nervous. This year she had the mayor’s son. That thought had terrified her on her first day back in the classroom after the summer. The mayor obviously hated her, though Mary-Margaret couldn't figure out why. What if her son was just as cruel? But the boy (Henry) had been so kind. And so… lonely.

So she’d given him a book.

She didn't know where it had come from (she vaguely remembered a package from ‘A.B’ what felt like years ago, but the book was so new…), and he was a bit confused when she first handed it over. Clearly his mother didn't shower him with books. Or gifts of any kind. But he had accepted it gratefully and now, a few months later, he would rarely be seen without it as he pored over the stories.

-

Leafing through the pages as fast as he could, Henry drew parallels between this fictional world and his own. Look, that woman there could totally be Belle the Beauty! But wait, Belle had scars on her face and her arms. That woman couldn't be her.

All Henry had been able to confirm so far was that his teacher was Snow White (the birdhouses gave it away, and Paige had laughed at him when he had stood up and said oh! whilst in class, after his eureka moment) and his mom was the Evil Queen. He hadn't wanted to believe it, but there was no way she wasn't with the way she was mean to everyone. It was perfectly acceptable to believe she had cursed everyone to get at Miss Blanchard. She totally hated her.

His computer blipped and Henry looked up. He gasped with excitement and surprise. Emma Swan, 28. Currently living in Boston… Now he could find his mom and break the curse and Snow White could be free again! He shut his book with a snap.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 11. Something changes in Storybrooke

It was a quiet evening in Storybrooke as Mr. Gold limped (gracefully) down the street to Granny's Bed and Breakfast to claim the rent. Another dull part of his job, but if he didn't do it his tenants would be more inclined to lie, and less inclined to fear him. Couldn't have that.

So he walked up a crooked path to an aging inn and walked through the door and into a young woman wearing clothing not even slightly appropriate for the current weather, and she noticeably shivered in the chill that followed Gold through the door. Of course she might have shivered from fear too. But what's this? A stranger, in Storybrooke? She introduced herself hesitantly to Granny, who hadn't seen Gold yet.

"Emma Swan"

"Emma..."

He repeated the name, out loud, it seemed, from the way the woman turned around. The Saviour... Where did that come from? What did he need saving from? He was fine. A little tired, but fine. But then the woman met his eyes. Eyes so blue... and a face so much like her parent's...

Everything came rushing back at once.

_Please, I can’t die… Milah! Please, let my wife go… Kiss my boot… Everyone has a choice… You, you tricked me! The Rheul Ghorm? Bae! I never loved you… Really, dearie? Love is weakness… Cora! Intent is meaningless… It’s forever, dearie… it’s chipped… Why do you spin so much?”... Why won’t you believe me!?! … She died… And on its 28th birthday the child will return… And the final battle will begin!_

_Tell me, tell me her name!_

_Emma. Her name is Emma._

Free at last. But he was still trapped in Mr. Gold's body, so he shifted on his cane as he said "What a beautiful name" and the old wolf held out a roll of notes and insisted it was all there. He smiled as the junior Charming (probably older than her parents by now) thanked him with a puzzled expression as he walked back out the door, as the Red girl leaped out of his way once more. He could sense the wolf in her, and the wolf could sense him, but the girl was oblivious.

It was a quiet evening in Storybrooke as Rumpelstiltskin strode (purposefully) down the street to a pink house that wasn't his to make an inventory of his possessions. Another dull job, but entirely necessary if he wanted to keep his power when everyone woke up.

So he unlocked the door and moved straight to the back room where all the clutter for the shop was stored, and began searching the china cabinet. He found it immediately and took it out. He'd put it in here believing it meaningless. It would have pride and place once more. He exited the dusty room and locked a door that hadn't been locked before (when they remembered, he wanted to keep their treasures). He entered the main room, and placed in the center of the mantelpiece a chipped teacup, the final reminder of a woman long dead.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The last few moments... Things will pick up soon, when these guys can all do stuff without being restricted by a curse :3
> 
> Haven't said it in a while so, I own nothing!

Much as she prided herself on her ways as an observant statue, it took over a week for Mulan to notice the change. She only picked it up when one of Belle's (many) friends fell ill, a small cold. That hadn't happened for at least 30 years. (Phillip thought 25, Belle guessed closer to 27 or 28). Time was moving forwards again. That meant they could leave.

Much as she'd hated the Prince at first (she'd met the youngest prince of her own kingdom once. Watched the fool die in battle from afar. He'd refused to let her into his guard because she was a woman. His chosen guard abandoned him.) she was used to him now, and appreciated his skills. Now she called him friend.

She supposed that was why she told him immediately after she confirmed her suspicions. She cared little for his Princess, but she knew she would die for Phillip. That was her duty after all. So she told him, and he told Belle, and she told Lancelot, and they said goodbye and the three were on their way once more. To the Palace of the Sun. They still had a ways to go. They'd made it about halfway before the time-freeze, and had then backtracked by mistake. But with any luck the Princess had been frozen too. 

-

28 years (Belle was _certain_ that was how long it had been) and her little wooden Rumpel-Dragon was still here, barely more than a pile of ash but recognizable all the same. They'd made it this far again, in 2 months this time. They could go faster because Belle's wounds were all healed (the time-freeze hadn't stopped that. She had the scars of an aged veteran), but they still went slower than they could have (Phillip estimated as short a time as a week to reach their destination, if they cantered full pace everyday) because the landscape was so different. The power of the curse seemed to have been most concentrated on the areas most populated by people, but no-one had ventured this far in what was clearly a long time. The brush had spread, and raggedy weeds dominated the floor. Phillip had become particularly excited at their first sighting of a Briar Rose bush. 

Belle had spent the day thinking about flowers and gifts ("if you'll have it"), and the people that gave them ("thank you, kind sir").

-

The Sheriff tapped her fingers against the table. There was _no way_ her roommate had murdered Kathryn Nolan. Her lover's wife. Missing wife. Whose heart they had found in a jewelry box. _Her_ box. Emma whacked her head against her desk (with an insultingly hollow _thud_ ) and Mary Margaret barely looked up, heartbroken after said lover asked if she _really did_ murder said wife. How did such a small town have this much drama? And how did _she_ get dragged into it?

-

Two months later and the Palace was in sight. So close, and yet so far. The horses refused to move, so for three days they watched and waited, unable to leave them behind. The Beauty reading, the Warrior hunting, the Prince pacing. Belle had only one book, there was no game nearby, and Phillip had walked furrows into the earth.

-

He had stood by the library door waiting as the Evil Queen and the Savior (they had joined forces to save a boy that belonged to both of them) got the elevator working before he stepped inside the building. The blonde was in the basement now, fighting the protector of his second most precious possession (his original second-most-precious had been destroyed by the brunette with her back to him, his first-most-precious was locked in his safe) to get it back. Perhaps with his magic he could fix what Regina had destroyed.

By the time the blonde returned with the egg, the Mayor was bound to a chair and gagged with duct-tape. He'd get a more satisfying revenge later. He got the egg, barely even tried, and headed back to his shop immediately. He knew the boy wouldn't make it. There was no way he could. But maybe one of those two women would be smart enough to figure out what had to be done. His money was on the Savior.

-

It was frustrating, being trapped like this. The barrier was gone but the effects of the curse still remained, on the most part. Long winding paths had to be taken, lest they be turned around by the strange magic in the air, and more than once they had to flee outright when ogres and other such beasts discovered them on their quest.

Belle was tired.

Mulan was frustrated.

Phillip was desperate.

And Aurora was 6 miles away and unreachable.

-

In his shop he opened the egg up and took the crystal vial from the inside. He put the True Love into his jacket pocket and placed the ornate casing on the shelf behind him. But when he turned around again, all the breath was forced from his body. 

Belle...

She was there, so close... that blue dress she had loved to wear swirling around her feet, green-and-gold cloak clasped at her throat, chestnut curls framing her face. Such blue, blue eyes, gazing at him, piercing his soul; lips, so red, gently smiling. He moved around the counter, reached out to touch her...

His hand passed through her face. He choked back a broken sob. _"She died"_. He closed his eyes and stepped through her, the remains of the projection fading to wisps around him, like all the ones that had come before it. He headed to the door as a tear made his way silently down his cheek.

The bell rang from above the door.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 13. I have too much to do to make this a long one, but I think soon they're gonna get much longer.
> 
> The Curse breaks in Storybrooke.

He didn't deserve this. The kid was so innocent, so pure. And here he was, lying dead. Tears pooled in her eyes as she gazed down at the son that was hers, but not really. If they'd moved a bit faster, acted a bit sooner, if she'd not trusted Gold... would her Henry still be alive. Emma blinked as her first tears began to fall. She leaned forwards and could smell the clinical scent of hospitals clinging to the frail body. A breath away from his face she paused.

"I love you Henry."

She pressed a kiss to his forehead.

-

Moments before he dropped the vial into the well he felt a rush of wind pounce on him from behind, and he closed his eyes for the barest second. He could imagine what the townspeople saw behind their own lids; faces of strangers they now recognized; castles and cabins straight out of fairy tales that they had once called home; a dark cloud come to transport them to misery. He saw much the same, though they came without the rush of remembrance. He saw Bae, and Belle; a Spinner's hovel, a monster's castle; a foreboding magic he welcomed like an old friend, here to free him from his painful memories for a blessed 28 years.

Then he stepped forwards, reached out, and released another dark cloud onto the people of Storybrooke.

And then the light and the darkness and the magic, swirling and leaping around him. And Mr. Gold sighed, and turned and headed for home. He had no reason to gloat, and no-one to share his power with. Even with his freedom to pursue his happy ending, there was nothing here that could grant him it.

-

Mary Margaret blinked, and then she wasn't Mary Margaret anymore.

She raised a hand to her head to find her hair _really was_ gone. It was so short.

Snow blinked again, and looked around dazedly.

-

Grumpy stumbled into his brother as the memories came back, and he rubbed his head in irritation. Why'd he have to be the town drunk? The other brothers around him began to embrace one another, but for a brief moment his gaze was caught by the brunette across the street. Nova, newly remembered, gazed confusedly back. He was drawn from the moment as Happy pulled him into a bone-crushing embrace.

-

The first thing he heard was the machine, like a dial tone when his mother hung up first. He could feel a kiss on his forehead, and the words that had come before it. He opened his eyes and saw his mother, blond hair framing her face, and the Blue Fairy looking like someone had just woken her up with a real cold glass of water. Doctor Whale and the nurses looked the same.

Did this mean the curse was broken? Did every one remember? Had he done it? Had he saved everyone?

He looked up at his birth mother who looked back at him with a watery smile. True Love's kiss breaks any curse.

Henry grinned.

-

She didn't understand at first. All she could see was a chest that was brushed back by a biting wind, and then white, white walls. But then she saw the colored light, the glowing rays, and she turned to face her dead son as he breathed once more. "I love you too".

And just like that, Regina's world fell apart.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 14! (I still own nothing!) I had my first exam today, so that's one down and ten to go. And I'm about to watch the finale, can't wait!  
> Anyways, chapter 14, enjoy!

They were in a small clearing when the change came upon the air. It was immediate and obvious and overwhelming, a ray of colored light sweeping across the land as fast as the dark cloud had before. If that had been a black curse before, that wave had surely broken it.

Mulan had been reading Belle's book, the one she'd had when they met. It summarized mythical beasts from Mulan's land and most of the ones bordering it. There were chapters on Werewolves and Qui-shens and Yaoguai, but right now she was reading something about Kitsunes, fox-like creatures, from what she could tell, that had some grasp on immortality or the like (Mulan wasn't really focusing on the words). But that was before the magic crashed against her back, rocking her forwards, flipping the book's pages and whipping her hair around her head. And Mulan took a deeper breath than she had for almost three decades, the book dropping to the floor at a chapter about soul-suckers. The magic had a... _pure_ feel to it, fresh and clean and _freeing_ , even as it thudded in her ears (it sounded like the screams of the soldiers around her, those like brothers that died and the ones as strangers she had saved; she heard her father's last words and her mother's encouragements; she also heard silence, like a space waiting to be filled by the laughter of another).

Mulan felt expectant.

Belle had been tending to the horses when it came, Bucephalas (the Queen's horse) having gotten thorns caught in his mane. Khan's skin was shivering with sweat brought on by the effort of trying to go against the boundaries of a powerful curse. Samson was tired but otherwise okay, accustomed to the magic of a vengeful Dragon and the arduous treks his master would go on in an effort to aid his realm or save his princess. Belle was running her left hand through Buce's mane, searching for any stray thorns. The ones she had already collected rested in the palm of her right, waiting to be cast into the fire they would later set for the cloying aroma they would produce. When the wave hit Belle stumbled forwards as the horse shied to the side, hands still caught in his mane, Samson whinnying in terror, showing the whites of his eyes, and Khan rearing on his legs, pawing the air. Her right hand closed around the thorns, until a drop of blood dripped to the floor. The magic coursed through her, invading her mind and confusing her senses. She sucked in a desperate breath as the feeling suffocated her (it felt like her father's words battering her _"He is your fiance. Of course you're engaged! This isn't a discussion, Belle...";_ the feeling of watching her best friend die at the hands of the ogres, leaving them with no body to bury; the heartbreak of a stranger taking her from her home and giving her a new one, only to cast her out from it as though he didn't care).

Belle felt heartbroken.

Phillip had been swinging his sword, going through the movements but not really feeling it. All there was here to fight were ogres (they had few arrows, since Belle carved only 'Dragons', but they were enough for their purpose) and Maleficent had clearly been consumed by the cloud. Even with the horses they weren't really making any progress (at all), and Phillip was desperately afraid that after they had come all this way, waited all this time, Aurora would not be there at the end of it all. She would be dead, she would have left him, she would be cursed... It was these thoughts that prompted Phillip to attack the air around him, skewering it and slicing it in half. That was what he was doing when he saw the ray of light cut through the air. Of the three of them he was the only one with his mouth open when it reached him, as he prepared to call out. It surged through his mouth and out his nose in a single breath (it tasted like the words on his tongue as he told his father of his plans to marry the girl he had met; it tasted like joy and dark magic at the same time, battling one another for dominance; it tasted like Aurora's lips on his. Roses, somehow, and mint and an overwhelming warmth).

Phillip felt complete.

-

Altogether the experience happened simultaneously and lasted but a moment as Mulan dropped a book, Belle a handful of thorns and Phillip a sword. Two of the three had tears in their eyes as they walked to meet one another just off-center of the clearing. Few words were exchanged and finally Phillip gestured in the direction of the palace that had been built for him and his love. Looking there now, it seemed so much loser than before. With a nod the three went to calm their respective horses, which Belle had abandoned in favor of once again changing the plan of action. Khan was clearly in no fit state to move - incredibly agitated, rolling his eyes with his ears back, back right hoof stamping the ground - much to Mulan's disappointment. And to Phillip's frustration, they had to pause to amend the plan once more. In the end (after a prolonged argument) it was decided Belle would stay behind to 'guard the camp' and tend to Khan, since her scars wouldn't let her ride that far that fast.

The Warrior and the Prince swung onto the horses, Phillip on his own and Mulan on Belle's, and turned them in the direction of the stone palace, where the Princess had been laid to rest.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Exam number two is done, huzzah! A slightly longer chapter (I think?) but the next few will probably start to get a _lot _longer. Anyways, chapter 15, enjoy!__

Belle was perhaps a little disappointed to be omitted from this part of the quest after she had come so far, but more of her was relieved that now she could have some time alone to calm her thoughts and mull over her pain. And consider what she would do next. They had seen no-one but those in their sanctuary, and it seemed the Queen's Curse had hit as they suspected. Everyone had been swept away from their happy endings. Rumpelstiltskin included no doubt. Belle huffed.

-

Mulan was saddened by the thought that she would soon be separated from Phillip (probably Belle too) as this quest came to its end, and she would be left to travel alone again. It was a depressing thought that she had no time to consider as she and Phillip raced over the near-barren landscape to an estate that soon sprawled before them, white stone basking in golden light. The wind tore at her eyes, and she blamed that for the tears that she hastily blinked away.

-

Phillip was terrified as he and Mulan rode at a breakneck pace to a palace that didn't seem to be coming any closer. No matter how many strides his horse took it remained as far away, and the fear intensified at the thought the curse was not broken after all. He would never reach his love. His train of thought was broken as Samson abruptly slowed to a trot, approaching at last a great stone archway that was delicately carved and cracked down the middle. Through it he saw the main courtyard, in the center of it a mess of thorns surrounding a gazebo-like structure. He dismounted immediately.

-

Mulan trailed the Prince, helmet obscuring her face, and left Buce beside Samson. Phillip hacked at a black array of vines to reveal a stone dais on which rested a woman delicately draped in purple. He leaned in slowly to kiss her.

-

A feeling of breath on her lips and Aurora opened her eyes, welcoming the light to her depraved sight. She gulped in air and blinked as fast as humanly possible, to avoid the burning darkness, and her eyes flicked to Phillip. Phillip. He was here, out of the emptiness to save her. "I told you not to come after me". Phillip laughed, and moved to kiss her again.

-

Mulan released a breath she hadn't noticed she was holding. The Princess lived. She turned away to give them privacy in their reunion.

-

Cora scowled. Two blasts in quick succession, each filling her with an identical sense of emptiness where her heart had once been. It could only be a kiss borne of True Love. And since such a thing couldn't be achieved with the Dark Curse still in place, her fool of a daughter had obviously let somebody break it. Probably that simpering Princess and her Prince _Charming_. She could hear that sickening girl now twittering away, even as the survivors yelled from above. But soon the pirate would come to free her, and she would have her daughter once more.

-

Belle felt that wave again, and this one hit her as the last one had. She let out a sob, then a scream, then bit down on her lip. Tears streamed down her face as she remembered those talons digging into her arms, shaking her, rejecting her, and she closed her eyes against the anguish once more.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My third exam is finished ^-^ And here is chapter 16! Yaay! Almost at 300 views now :)  
> Without Belle around Rumpel needs _some_ excuse to attack Regina.

The witch had taunted him, teased him with his treasured teacup as he stood begging in that blasted jail cell.

He had given up his name in exchange for it.

And then she had dropped said teacup to shatter on the station floor, leaving the room with a swagger in her step and a smirk on her lips.

The only thing he had had left of his Belle, his darling Belle, and she had destroyed it.

He could put it back together again when he had magic again, and he would, but for that she would pay. And he had just the thing for the job. It had been an easy decision to make, since she _did_ deserve it. There was not a moment's hesitation as he took his crooked dagger out of his jacket pocket and thrust it into the ground beside the chain of a medallion.

"The Dark One summons thee!"

And the wraith let out an unholy scream.

-

Mulan was wandering a few dozen feet away, watching through her peripheral vision as Phillip helped a girl (woman), who had not used her legs in 29 years, to stand. They walked forwards together, away from the dais, gripping each other tightly and reluctant to let go. At a rumbling from beneath the ground Mulan turned just in time to be swept of her feet by a spirit swathed in black. She pushed herself to her feet again as its red eyes bored into her. She had left her sword with Belle, as they had just the two between them, so she had no way to defend herself. Her body felt cold, and she ached. Her head, her heart, her very bones.

And she saw Phillip draw his sword. That was when its gaze turned on him. He swung his steel at the creature, cutting a chain from its chest, and it flew (for want of a better word) into a portal in the sky.

Phillip bent to pick something from the floor, and gazed at it in the palm of his hand, light glinting off the metal. Mulan gained her composure, moving to be by his side once more, answering the unspoken question hanging in the air, her words coming from the information in Belle's lone book. "Qui-shen. In your land you would call it a wraith."

Blue eyes turned to her for the first time, the Princess finally acknowledging her presence. 

For Phillip to have fallen in love she must not only be beautiful ("I'm sorry, who is this?"), but also kind and smart and compassionate ("a friend"). A quick thinker, bold and unafraid (the removal of a helmet). These were qualities that Belle possessed, and they had become fast friends. (The Princess hesitated). Phillip spoke of Aurora as though she did too. She was sure there could be as strong a friendship there too.

"But you're a... girl".

But then again, maybe not.

"Woman" Mulan stated in irritation. The ridiculous woman (girl) clearly couldn't tell the difference. "My name is Mulan".

Phillip defended Mulan and as the two women stared suspiciously at one another.

"We have fought many battles together" "With a woman?"

A nod.

"And now we have another to wage". She listed off more information on the Qui-shen, Phillip clearly recognizing the words from a book he had read cover to cover a great many times too as he smirked. "...damning them for all eternity..." The three looked around at the haunting sounds, and Mulan, enjoying scaring the Princess, continued. "Those are the sounds of the souls it has trapped trying to escape". She even got her voice to waver with emotion. It got the desired effect, as the Princess' head whipped towards her. "But fortune has favored us, as we all avoided the mark. We need to begin our journey." And with a creak of leather, Mulan turned away.

-

Phillip embraced her, offering empty words of comfort after facing such a terror. As he kissed her cheek she smelled burning flesh beside her (she would never forget such a terrible scent, however long she lived. If this wasn't all a dream), but when she asked her True Love of his troubles, he stated he had none, and closed his fist. "Nothing... everything is fine". The crease between his eyebrows gave him away, but he turned from her too quickly as Mulan called out to them. "Come on, or she will worry after us!"

Just how many women did her Prince have in his life?


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another exam finished ^-^ Here's chapter 17!  
> Aurora and the others reach Belle :) Enjoy!

His plan to get revenge on Regina had failed miserably as The Savior saved her (that was a title and she had already done her job, she could stop now) and the Wraith had been sucked into Jefferson's hat. Apparently, Mary Marga.. Snow White and Emma had gone too, the latter falling and the former following. Charming was devastated his family was gone again. Little Henry was more miffed his adoptive-mother had used magic against his grandfather. Red was downright pissed at everyone involved, such as she should be. They all blamed him, of course. That was fine. That could be his punishment for failing.

And with the distraction of the missing queen and princess, there was no-one left to stop him on his path for revenge.

-

_"What are you doing?"_  
 _"Reading."_  
 _"Yes, I can see that."  
"Then why did you ask?" _

_Belle enjoyed the look of irritation on his face as she gazed at him above her book. His garden wasn't a particularly pleasant place, but she'd managed to clear away most of the weeds and thorns and vines and had even planted a red rosebush. Now she lay on the (dead) grass as the sun danced its rays on her hair. The Dark One sat cross legged at her feet, listening as she began to read. She started mid-chapter, but he listened as if he'd heard it from the start. She couldn't see him, eyes focused on her page, as he traced patterns on her crossed ankles through her dress. If he leaned forwards, he could see under her book as she read, and see her face. Her eyes brightened at the character's joys and her frown deepened at their misfortunes, but she never stopped smiling in her reading of the story._

_But then a dark cloud passed over and Rumpelstiltskin was gone and Belle was alone and all there was was the ogres and Regina and the black, black night..._

-

They rode at a steadier pace on the way back, a gentle trot-to-canter-to-trot as the Princess rode with Phillip. Samson bared their weight, not that the girl could possibly weigh that much, and he easily kept up with Buce as they neared the clearing where they had left Belle.

They moved at a walk now, the Princess very alert for someone the world believed to be dead. Phillip happily pointed things out to her and answered her questions, and they both seemed to revel in the sound of each other's voices. Mulan sucked at her teeth as a horse concealed by trees whinnied out a greeting. She snickered at the Princess' response, which was to jump up a ways from the saddle and dislodge Phillip, who promptly fell to the ground. Mulan rolled her eyes and dismounted to offer her assistance.

"No. I can manage him"

The Princess was pushy. Mulan shrugged as though it didn't bother her, helmet concealing her eyes. Phillip brushed the dirt from himself (like it did any good, they'd been wearing the same clothes for almost three decades; only Belle had something else to wear, a cornflower-blue dress, but had gotten her travelling clothes back, expertly patched up, by tailors at the sanctuary anyway) and smiled at his love. She smiled back and Mulan turned away to head into the clearing. The Princess was hesitant to follow, wary of a stranger's horse. She was less than impressed when the horse trotted over to snuffle at her hair. She pushed Khan’s head away as Phillip let go of Samson's reins and Mulan went to take the tattered book off Belle's face. She was muttering words under her breath.

"She's reading in her dreams again, Phillip. It's always the same passage."

The Prince and his Princess stepped closer. "Has she been crying?" A nod. "Will you wake her up?" A nod. Mulan took her water pouch from her belt and poured it over Belle's face, concealing her tears the way she and Phillip had been doing for years. The Beauty lurched forwards, gasping for air.

-

She had forgotten there was a third, some other friend of her Phillip's waiting for them at their wherever-destination. So it wasn't really fair that _woman_ snickered when she inadvertently knocked Phillip from the saddle in her surprise at the whinny. Phillip was fine, of course, and without the Warrior's assistance, thank you very much. He was on his feet again in no time and Aurora was able to walk into the clearing with her head held high. Until, that is, a horse started to eat her _head_. She gasped in surprise and Phillip smiled at her as she pushed beast's head away. "She's reading in her dreams again, Phillip." (She called him by his first name?) They both turned as Mulan straightened once more, and Aurora got her first look at her third travelling companion. Another beautiful woman, although this one's face was marred by small scratches and blemishes, her hands (liberated from the gloves now resting on her stomach) decorated with similar marks. A single tear slipped down her cheek as Phillip and Mulan exchanged words, and then the tear was washed away as the warrior-woman poured water over her comrade's face.

-

Belle sat up from the ground and blinked as the grass returned to life around her and the dark cloud dissipated and the rosebush, _her_ rosebush, vanished. She blinked again, and Mulan was before her, book in hand. She stood with a frown on her face as her eyes registered Phillip and then lighted on a stranger's face. Belle's face broke out in a grin (even the small scars dotting her skin did nothing to hinder the beauty of her smile) and she rushed forwards to pull Phillip's True Love into a rib-crushing hug.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two more exams down, huzzah! And here is chapter 18! I won't be here on Monday, so hopefully I'll be able to post that chapter with Wednesday's :) To Scotland!  
> Anyway, one of their number wanders off.  
> A switch between Storybrooke and FTL makes for a bit of a disjointed story, but I suppose it helps keep track of timing etc., and I wanted to include those bits :)

Phillip had told her she had needed to rest, despite her fears of returning to the room filled with fire. Like she hadn't rested enough already. Now she shared his horse with him, his loyal companion Samson, as they traveled to a place only he and his companions knew. She had told him not to come after her, as Maleficent placed her threat, but she should have known he would. But it had been years since their separation, and she believed him dead, or at least still that.. that _Monster_... She hadn't really expected him to return.

But of course he would return, and with such irritating companions.

-

Belle was smart. That made her a good companion. Philip could fight. That made him a good companion. Aurora was a pampered princess. She was no good at all. Mulan was frustrated. They'd been riding for two days and still every time they heard the Wraith's victims call out that damned Princess would jump in fear and give Phillip's horse a heart attack. Belle had successfully calmed Khan down, and they were each riding their own horses again. Well, not Aurora. She shared Samson with Phillip, but he was happy to point more things out to her. They took a detour to show her how a waterfall had eroded at a cliff, and in Mulan's opinion they would have been fine and together if it hadn't been for that stupid _girl_.

-

So much had happened, and so little had been achieved. Charming sat in a booth at Granny's alone, without even his grandson for company. He'd managed to convince everyone to remain in Storybrooke, to Red's approval, but all they'd gotten from these past days was more and more bad news. Sneezy's memories remained hidden from the world, Doctor Whale had been shot down by Sister Astrid who claimed to be 'unavailable' (and stared pointedly at Grumpy much to Charming's surprise, although the dwarf in question didn't notice) and Granny had mentioned not being able to find her granddaughter's cloak at the inn. Add to that the fact Henry desperately wanted Regina to get better, Jefferson couldn't fix his hat and the two most important women in the world to him were unreachable, and Charming was having a pretty bad day.

-

They'd noticed, as they went on, that the Wraith seemed to be trailing them. It didn't approach them during the day, but at night its wails would join Aurora's as the others tried to sleep, and whoever was on watch would see its red eyes glinting in the darkness. Despite the potential dangers, they kept the fire going, and carried lit torches even at noontime.

Phillip was getting increasingly anxious, that much Mulan could see, but Belle insisted that, since none of them were marked, it just wanted its medallion back. Aurora was getting more irritating though, and that didn't help. But she hadn't been sleeping, and when she said the sound of running water comforted her Phillip decided that waterfall was where they would set up camp. It was nearing dusk when it all went wrong.

-

They wouldn't call her by her real name. She'd told them what is was, but still her 'parents' insisted on calling her Paige. They weren't doing it to be cruel. They just didn't understand. She knew her Papa was here somewhere; he had to be. He would come find her, and then they could have a tea party. Maybe he would let her invite Henry. But it had been days and her Papa still hadn't come for her. Maybe he was still trapped in Wonderland where the Evil Queen had sent him? 

Because Miss Blanchard had been lost through a portal (her Papa's hat, but Grace knew the Queen would have stolen it), her class had Mr. Greyson as a teacher. He was really nice, and invited everyone to the front to say a little bit about who they were in the old world. Henry looked sad when the teacher got to _his_ name, so Mr. Greyson told them about himself instead, how he had been a knight until a King had turned him into a gold statue. He stayed that way until Henry's grandfather freed him with water from Lake Nostos. When class was over, Henry showed him his story from the book.

But Grace still didn't have her Papa.

-

Belle was preparing the food, even though it was Phillip's job that day, and watched as the Princess played with her hair. Steadfastly refusing to sleep. Again. Mulan was fiddling with flint and not getting very far with her heavy gloves when another scream shook the air. The Princess swayed to her feet.

"Where's Phillip?"  
"I thought he was in your tent."  
"He said he was making a fire."  
"I'm making a fire".

Belle rolled her eyes. From the way the Princess said "I can see that", Belle thought she probably had too. She smirked. "He left, the horses are gone." Belle frowned as Aurora asked "Why would he leave?" And then it hit her.

"Because he was marked"


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 19! It's Friday now, we were in Scotland longer than I thought we would be. But that means you get three chapters today!

Belle could understand Mulan's frustration, Phillip was a good friend to both of them. But it was unfair for her to take it out on the Princess.

Initially she'd left Belle and Aurora behind so she could find Philip, and then the latter had run off and Belle had had to chase her. When she'd caught up to the Princess, they carried on together, the young girl sullen and silent as they walked. They found Samson and Khan, and rode on from there, taking Mulan by surprise when they caught up with her. A heated argument ensued between the two as Belle remained uncharacteristically silent.

-

Her silence remained unbroken as they cantered onward, Mulan astride Khan with Belle. The Warrior's conversation with the Princess still rang in all of their heads.

_"He's sacrificing himself for you! Can't you see that!?"_

_Mulan's voice broke, and Aurora's eyes widened in what could be interpreted easily as either horror or shock as she came to a realization. "You love him too. Don't you?" Mulan said nothing for a moment, as a muscle in her jaw twitched. Then she repeated herself in scarcely more than a whisper. "He's sacrificing_ everything _for you. Not that you would know anything about that."_

_And she had vaulted onto her horse in front of Belle and nearly given her friend a fatal kick in the face and a brand new scar. The Princess had remained as she was, silently shaking on Samson's back as her tears fell into his mane. Belle had gotten no more of a look at her than that as Mulan prompted the horse into a gallop._

Looking to the side now, Belle could see that Aurora still cried.

But they had no time for that, as they heard Phillip screaming obscenities at the wind as he encouraged the Wraith to steal his soul. They dismounted the horses, Mulan almost catching Belle in the face with her boot again, and two of the three went directly to their Prince, in the hopes of changing his mind. Belle took an unlit torch around through the trees so that she might take the soul-sucker by surprise.

She could overhear what they were saying, as Mulan offered to mark herself in exchange ("No! I will save _all_ of you.) Aurora begged, claiming she couldn't live in a world without him ("neither can I"). A lot of wailing was going on as Belle paused to light her torch with the flint she had hastily collected from their camp before setting off after the runaway Princess. She moved forwards, light in hand, as she heard Phillip say his final goodbye ("I love you"). Sensing her time was running out, Belle ran forwards just as the Wraith absorbed a bright light from Phillip, who promptly collapsed on the ground. Belle stared in shock, un-moving, at the spot where Phillip's wide eyes had met hers for the final time. A single tear slid down her cheek as the Princess rushed forwards to cradle her True Love in her arms, sobs racking her body. Mulan walked to stand beside her, and then fell to her knees. Aurora looked up to meet Belle's stare, pure hatred in her eyes. Before her stood the last person Phillip had ever seen. And it hadn't been her.

-

It took them perhaps a day to gallop back to where they had first come across Aurora, at the Palace of the Sun. They thought it only right that that be Phillip's final resting place, the home that had been built for him and his love. They found Bucephalas on the way; he had made it back to their abandoned camp by the waterfall, which they had stopped at to collect all of their things. At the great archway they dismounted and Mulan gently lowered Phillip's body from the horse she had tied him to before her. Samson gently nickered at his dead master as Mulan carried him passed, to the stone dais. Aurora trailed behind her, still sobbing. Belle stayed back, knowing she was not wanted around. The Princess was heartbroken, and right now her anger was directed at the Beauty. The two were discussing sacrifice and the like, and Mulan said that, whilst she disapproved of his methods, she respected his wishes. She swore she would keep Phillip's princess safe. "As will I." Belle stated as said princess turned to glare at her. But then their attention was drawn to a not-entirely-subtle crashing and groaning behind them.


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 20! The second chapter of the day :)  
> Belle, Mulan and Aurora have some new prisoners for the pit :3

Emma didn't know how long she'd been lying there. All she knew was she couldn't move and she couldn't breathe and something heavy was on top of her. She blinked as she heard voices and the 'something heavy' was lifted off of her. 

"Mulan" _wait, what?"_ "What is that?" _Mulan?_  
"That, Aurora..." _duuuuuude..._ "..is what killed our Prince."

Yep. She was going crazy.

-

They had laid Phillip to rest on the dais, and then almost immediately after had found his murderers, the ones who had brought the Wraith to their land. They had been covered in rubble, and had been utterly confused, but there was clearly no-one else to blame, that much Mulan could see. Aurora agreed.

Belle didn't.

-

Three days at a steady gallop after they had found their strangely clad prisoners and the haven could be seen in the distance. Phillip had been right. All residual effects of the curse gone, and distances were half as far as they had seemed before. Belle looked over at Aurora, who was the only one of the three who didn't have a prisoner wrapped around her waist. Twice already the blond had tried to dislodge Belle, and herself, from the horse by rocking abruptly to the side. Both times Belle had landed neatly on her feet (she'd survived falls from ladders, albeit with help. This was much safer, and not half as far) and dragged the other woman back on the horse. At least she'd learned, and hadn't done it again.

They'd considered just dragging the prisoners behind them, wrists bound, but Aurora was getting weaker and Belle's scars needed attention from the healer. So they galloped back to their sanctuary and were there in no time. By the morning of the fourth day the prisoners were in the pit with Cora. They were shoved in angrily, and Mulan went to inform Lancelot of Phillip's death and the addition of Aurora to their group. He consented to allowing her to stay with no argument, no claims of lack of resources and too many mouths already to feed.

-

Five days after Phillip's death and Killian was following Belle all over the place like he always did when Belle changed out of her red leather and into her blue dress. He stared from a distance away after Mulan came to talk to Belle (scared off, as per usual), Aurora trailing her. Aurora stared as well, and Belle stared straight back. Her scars always made people uncomfortable, and the ones gauged into her arms, now visible, were much more dramatic than the ones on her face. In her staring contest with the little Princess she barely caught what it was Mulan was actually saying, and she questioned the suggestion with incredulity.

"Wait, you want to let them out?!"

-

"Whatever you think of Regina, believe me Emma this woman is so much worse! Trust me!" "Don't you think we should at least hear her out?"

Their subdued argument (subdued on Emma's part at least, Mary Margaret was being uncharacteristically loud) was interrupted when one of the men from the encampment called down to them. "Hey. The captain wants to speak to you!" "About time..." muttered Cora.

"I wasn't talkin' t'you, was I?" Was the reply.

-

Barely 10 seconds after the two women had been released and the dark-brunette had kneed Aurora in the gut and tried to run. Mulan just picked up a sling and threw it, and the foolish woman was brought to the ground. Belle huffed, rolling her eyes and moved closer, to prevent any escape attempts (and violence) as the blond rushed forwards to help her friend. "Mary Margaret... are you okay?" The blond met Belle's gaze and glared, distracted only when the (barely conscious) woman in her arms looked up in shock at their captain coming out of his hut and said, in a disbelieving tone, "Lancelot..?"


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 21, last chapter of today. And the adventure continues! :)  
> All of this makes me wanna watch Disney again :( But it also gives me an excellent excuse to re-watch season two :)  
> Owning nothing!

Aurora watched in rising frustration as the one Belle called 'Lancelot' and that Warrior referred to as 'The Captain' embraced the woman that had kneed her in the stomach not ten minutes before. They chatted animatedly as they moved, the blond trailing behind, to the large table situated under a canopy that held more food than Aurora had seen since before she touched the spinning wheel (Belle had looked so saddened at the mention of the wheel, to the surprise of Aurora, Mulan and Phillip, though she had tried to hide it). There were grapes and figs and chimera and actual fresh breads... oh Gods, she was so hungry!

She was brought forth from her lamentations by a soft hand on her shoulder. "Why is he embracing them? They are responsible for Phillip's death." Barely looking at the soldier and Aurora could see her roll her eyes and purse her lips "You are new here Aurora" (she spat out her name) "Phillip trusted Lancelot; so must we." The Princess frowned and pursed her lips in return "I want justice." The Warrior was clearly continuing to argue her point, but Aurora's focus was concentrated on the way the brunette lightly touched the 'Captain's' arm, laughter in her eyes. She was only distracted when the Warrior moved in front of her and spoke down to her, as one would a petulant child.

"Do you understand me?" The look in her eyes was meant to be intimidating, but was only condescending. Aurora clenched her jaw and forced out a solitary word, a short response. "Yes." The Warrior, satisfied, walked away and Aurora tilted her chin in defiance. From within the extensive folds of the shawl that was draped across her arms and over her shoulders she brought forth a dagger, cold and glinting in the sun.

She would have her justice.

-

Emma was just sat here beside her _mother_ and her mother’s old friend _Lancelot_ of the freaking _round table_. And everything was all fine and dandy, all laughs and smiles, like this was _normal_ and not so bloody messed up she couldn't even think straight. Regina's 'more-evil-than-you-could-ever-imagine' mother was here and in some deep pit thing being all dastardly and stuff, and now she was eating some goat-lion mythical creature thing she was sure she’d learned about in history or something. And ogres were around too, which weren't the same as giants. And Mary Margaret was all ‘I have to get back to my Prince Charming’ and Sir Lancelot was all ‘Let me aid you on your quest fairest Queen’ and then all of a sudden 'Hua Mulan' was beside her all dressed up in armor and totally looking like a Disney princess, minus one midget talking dragon. But there was no way she was having any of that. "We can defend ourselves." Just as another voice said:

"Deal."

And then just like that, timid little Mary Margaret Blanchard totally undermined her plans to have some peace and quiet on this pointless little trek through the woods in fairy tale land where they avoided Shrek at every turn. "Thank you Lancelot, for always looking out for me." Dammit. That warrior lady did _not_ like her.

-

Somehow, the Gods only knew how, she had been roped into a quest with these strangely dressed Prince-slayers, and now she had been sworn to defend them. She presented them with a chest of weapons and warned them to choose wisely; they would have to remain vigilant if they wished to survive. But the snow woman had rolled her eyes as Mulan informed her friend of the horrors of the ogres, and she clenched her jaw. These terrors were not things to be mocked. Mulan had fought them and watched some of those closest to her die at their... 'hands'. Belle had witnessed the atrocities they committed, and though she remained impassive and non-specific, Mulan knew she would be plagued by nightmares for the rest of her life. Even the prissy little Princess had mentioned ogres, when prompted by Phillip, and had briefly discussed the times when it was feared they would encroach upon her father's lands.

And she had the nerve to _roll her eyes_. 

But she had given the little magic stick-thing back, had warned Belle to keep an eye on the Princess as Lancelot bade his friends farewell, and had led them with her head held high, even though she knew not where they were going.

-

They walked together out of the camp, Snow and her daughter, but the Once-Queen could see someone out of the corner of her eye. It was that soft-spoken girl that had traveled with Mulan(?) and Bella. She was glaring openly at them, a view of her hands blocked by her sweeping skirts. But then she didn't have time to focus on that, as they followed the soldier from the camp, and she told her little Emma that they were going home.

-

They were gone and Aurora was alone again, now with only that funny girl named Belle (she really was an odd one) for company. But at least she enjoyed discussing the books Aurora had read, so she wasn't _that_ bad. But now Aurora was leaving to get her vengeance, so none of that mattered anymore.

Nothing did.


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm changing my posting schedule, because I'm not writing fast enough to keep up :) So this is my last Monday post, and then the next and all others will be on Fridays. I hope this is okay, sorry for the change! 
> 
> Anyways, chapter 22! Enjoy :)  
> Aurora reappears. This one's kinda short, sorry :D

Henry was lonely, missing his mom again, but here was someone whose daughter was in the same position, feeling the same way. And he was just _sat_ here, doing nothing. So Henry figured, maybe he should do something. 'Cos this was totally The Mad Hatter, and that was awesome. But then, going after a hat he discovered a vault. Jefferson was just sat there looking lonely, and he just couldn't help himself "Not knowing, is the worst."

-

A heavy trek through dark woods. Fun-fun-fun. "This'll do. We'll make camp here for the night." And that was fine. Until it was made clear Emma was an ignorant child, because really, who didn't know ogres were blind?

Come on! She'd been here for like, five minutes! How was she supposed to know that Shrek and Fiona couldn't see a thing? Jeez! And Mary Margaret was all nonchalant and 'I know what I'm doing' and that Mulan lady (seriously, Disney had these guys copyrighted) was smirking at the ground as Emma's _mother_ came to give her a pep talk slash lecture. Guard the campsite? She wasn't five!

And now it was dark and Mary Margaret was back and look! the big empty clearing was totally fine! And this tree trunk was kind of comfy too... Emma was slowly drifting off when a sudden movement caught her eye. Had a cloaked figure just attacked her roommate?

-

Snow was piling the firewood on the floor, having finally collected enough to construct a sturdy blaze. Emma was off somewhere out of site, but that was fine - she was probably still upset about the campsite comment. Snow smiled to herself. Her daughter could still be such a child. But then somebody grabbed her shoulders and hauled her to her feet, cold metal against her throat. And a wavering voice told her not to move as she informed her that 'Phillip is gone because of you'. It was that purple-clad girl, so Snow reached behind her to grab the girl's upper body.

-

Mulan had finished filling all the water skins - and some odd, light, transparent container Emma had brought with her, concealed in her leather... corset? - and was a few paces from the edge of the clearing when she saw Mary Margaret (who Lancelot had called Snow, so perhaps she was one of the missing royals?) haul somebody over her shoulder (she really aught to ask that woman outright what her name was, this was confusing). There were so few people left in this land though, so it would be best if she investigated the mystery person MM/S had pinned to the ground. But then she recognized the purple fabric and anger overwhelmed her.

"... gest you find another way to channel your anger." Even from here Mulan could see tears pooling in Aurora's eyes (when had she stopped seeing her as 'The Princess'?) and she dragged the short-haired woman off her charge. "Don't you talk to her like that". The venom was clear in her voice. Aurora was still on the ground and Mulan held her weapon when the strange roar rang out among the trees, and the three flinched.

-

Her mother/roommate/best (only?) friend was being attacked - ambushed - and they were angry at _her_ for trying to help? But then there was this awful growl behind her and Emma realized she had totally forgot the first lesson of Ogres 101. Mary Margaret screamed (shrieked) _run_ and Mulan pulled a scrambling Sleeping Beauty (Rory? She'd always disliked that fairy tale, Beauty and the Beast was so much better) off the forest floor. And they ran through the trees as suddenly a fifth person joined their group just before they split up, Emma following Mary Margaret. And then, Emma tripped over a root. Flat on her face. And an ogre was there and it was going to eat her and its hot, foul breath was on her face...


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 23. At least if she'd died she'd have known which Disney Princesses she was hanging out with :D  
> Disclaimer again, it's been a while. I own nothing! :D

...and then, Mary Margaret.

But she was totally Snow White. A bad-ass, bow-toting Snow White. But the point still stands. And she was all self-sacrificial and mother-y and it _hurt_.

But then Aurora (Emma remembered now - ridiculous that her last thought had been that the Sleeping Beauty was wearing the wrong color dress and had obviously died her hair) was stumbling over, along with Mulan who was comforting their latest addition, who seemed to be crying. Seriously? Emma had almost been eaten and _this_ woman was crying?

-

Mulan pulled Belle along as their rag-tag team of women (Aurora had been promoted from girl-hood, though she was obviously not the clearest thinker when angry) slowly trudged away from the new ogre-corpse. Belle was noticeably upset, which was to be expected from someone who had been forced to confront one of their most awful nightmares, completely out of the blue. But she was brave, and tried to mask her tears as they moved onward.

Belle tried to explain, as they walked, that she had done her best to control Aurora, and keep and eye on her. But then Killian had come over to flirt with her _again_ and she'd been momentarily distracted as she tried to explain, for the thousandth time, that she was wholly unavailable. When she had finally discouraged him to the point of his letting her alone, the Princess was already gone. Belle had barely had time to grab her embroidered cloak (the green and gold thing Mulan honestly thought was hideous, though Belle loved it) and then she'd been on her way, trying to track a Princess whose dainty shoes and light weight made next to no impression in the forest soil. She had been some distance away when she heard the roar (a 'gunn-shot'), and had been able to change her course to find them. She was happy to escort the Princess back, but they seemed too far away from the haven to bother with that now.

-

Snow was frustrated. She had begrudgingly accepted the Warrior into the group, as necessary means of protection. But then this hapless little Princess had arrived and foolishly tried to _kill_ her, and now the scarred woman who had thrown Emma off a horse, _twice_ , had been invited along! Any one of them could be some agent of Cora's, and that was not a risk she was willing to take. Not with her daughter. But they could hardly send them back. If they were innocent, sending them back could potentially mean condemning them to death.

-

Aurora had been launched over a shoulder and was now being dragged along on some noble quest.

This forest was cold, and she was tired.

-

Belle felt awkward and pathetic. She had cried because of one measly ogre and now looked like a hopeless child. She was in the middle of the woods with a threadbare cloak and a dress barely suitable for housework (although she had a very attractive pair of white boots that were much more practical than her old buckled heels, which were missing along with her beloved necklace), and had failed to keep track of an insomniac Princess. She had no weapon and had been completely inconsiderate and unprepared by bringing no supplies or provisions - the others would have to share their food and water with her, leaving less for themselves.


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 24, huzzah.  
> This one's kinda long. I can start following the episodes now, so the next few might be long as well. Sorry :D  
> An unwelcome guest at the nursery.

He had to admit, he was a little stuck for ideas. But he had carried out a neat little plan and had been able to test a potion that would allow him to cross the town line. Now he just needed a to wait for the Savior to return and he could collect his favor and set out to find his son. Charming had been to busy hunting down Jefferson to guard the station, and Rumpelstiltskin had been able to break in and scan a sketch of his son through the computer. It had taken a while, since he was older than in the picture, but now he had a pretty good idea of the location of his Baelfire. He was in some place called 'New York', and he had a new name...

-

It was darker than it had been before, and _so_ much colder. Mulan was in the lead and Belle was just behind, chatting to the woman who, despite being named Snow, kept asking to be called Mary Margaret. The Emma woman was a few paces behind them, not exactly hurrying, but a worrisome distance away. Aurora paused as her dress caught on another tree branch. Who would have thought forests could have quite so many trees?

"Aurora!" Gah! She was going to give her an awful shock, yelling all the time. "You've gotta keep up". Aurora delivered a biting remark that she had hoped would evoke sympathy in her self-assigned protector. But then she made the mistake of complaining. "It's cold out here" "Then maybe you should have listened to us and stayed back". Of course, the righteous Warrior, never making a mistake. Belle merely glanced back with a sorry look, all huddled in her fancy cloak, and Mary just plowed on ahead. But Emma, she removed her outermost layer (baring her arms) and offered it to Aurora. It felt leathery, like animal hide, but was very supple. "But I.. tried to kill your friend" Aurora nervously pointed out.

"Actually she's my mom. And I have a feeling she can take care of herself". Almost as an afterthought she added "And I get it, you're not the only one who's been screwing up lately". But Aurora's mind was still reeling from the whole 'mother' part. How..? No, she didn't want to even think about it. She returned her attention to the strange garment she was holding at arms length.

"What kind of corset is this?"

-

 _She's my mom..._ Had she actually said that? Out loud? The first time she'd called her mom her mom, and she didn't even say it to her face. Emma had no time to mull this over though, as almost immediately Mulan called out "up here" and then there it was, a castle right out of... well, a fairy tale she supposed. She must've said something out loud because Sn... _Mary Margaret_ said "Yeah. That's our home".

And seriously, the thing had turrets and domes and everything.

-

In what felt like no time at all they were there, and Snow was leading the way through a great oak door and to a room that looked like it had been torn apart by a powerful wind. Perhaps she shouldn't have known what a room looked like after that kind of devastation, but Rumpel had had a visitor once that had appeared with a magical storm right in the middle of the Great Hall. Belle had been swept off her feet (and across the room) as a young woman demanded a heart from 'the Wicked Wizard of the South'. She had given her yappy little dog in exchange (Rum promptly froze it) after she flat out refused to give up her shoes (which she clicked together in order to disappear again), and when asked Rumpel had replied that the heart was for a tin man the young woman loved. Then he had given some long drawn out monologue on the foolishness of young lovers and Belle had been more than happy to listen, despite disagreeing and...

Anyway.

All thoughts of True Loves aside.

Mulan and Aurora were discretely leaving the room, and they dragged Belle along with them. They thought it best to leave the two strangers to this ruined nursery and 'the wardrobe from Henry's book'.

-

"I never thought I'd see this place again. Your room. This was your nursery." Snow picked at a little toy bear (that had once been hers), clearing his face of rogue bits of debris. Her heart broke all over again, repeatedly, for all she had not been able to give to her daughter. She could see awareness dawn in Emma's eyes as she listed the things she had looked forward to doing with her, all the things she had missed. But then her daughter had such a good argument against her… "We have a family. In Storybrooke. And right now they need us to get back there. So, how do we get _this_ to work?" Snow blinked back tears and huddled the little bear closer to her chest.

-

 _Where's the on switch?_

What did that even mean? Not-Lancelot stood outside the door of a dingy looking nursery, waiting for the right moment to offer his assistance. Ahh, and there was his in! "With the help of an old friend." Not-Lancelot walked through the door. The simpering princess was obviously confused, but the blond just stood there impassive. "Where are Mulan and Aurora?" Not-Lancelot tuned back into the conversation in time (a wardrobe? Like the one that could take you to the White Witch?) "I sent them to find food. Tonight we will make camp and in the morning we'll head back." Yes, that should hold them off for a while. He exchanged meaningless conversation although he could sense the magic within the wood as he trailed his gloved hands across it. But then the girl was getting suspicious, had he said too much? Ahh.. "I just want you to be home to your husband" Good save! "and son. Henry." Not-Lancelot smiled, and continued with his meaningless words.

But then the little Queen drew her sword and it was at his throat as her daughter drew back with a gasp. "Stay away from him Emma. He is not who he says he is. There is only _one_ person you told Henry's name." "Cora."

Well. Perhaps it was understandable Regina had not managed to kill these ridiculous women immediately, they had at least _some_ brains. Not-Lancelot grew bored of his now pointless disguise, and with barely a directed thought became Cora again. Light-hearted banter was exchanged ("Well they'd never listen to _me_ ") and then the pathetic girl lunged and Cora flicked her wrist, flinging her across the room...


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Today is, of course, not a Friday, but I thought I'd post this anyway in celebration. My exams are over, Hurrah!  
> This fic is longer than I thought it would be, even if the chapters are kinda short, and I'm anxious to know what you think of it. So please Rate and Review so I know ways I can improve, I've never written anything like this before.
> 
> So here is Chapter 25, more of a filler I suppose. Enjoy! See you on Friday!

All of a sudden Lancelot was there, but then he was Cora and Mary Margaret was pinned to the wall and choking... How would she explain that to David? _"I'm sorry, person-who-is-apparently-my-father, but your wife was killed by magical non-existent hands in the remains of my nursery because of a wardrobe."_ Yeah. Fantastic. She ran forward to help and was flung across the room as well, and she struggled as her mother choked out words against her aggressor.

But then she had a mastermind plan; destroy the wardrobe! Then psycho-bitch would have no reason to stick around. Right? She tapped out the gunpowder from a bullet and lit it, saying victoriously "No you won't" and the little magic tree caught on fire.

But then Cora sucked the heat out of the air and into her hand and there was a fireball heading straight for her and Emma was going to die...

-

They hadn't gone far. Just a little ways down the hall. Mulan was talking with Aurora, chiding her for following them with dreams of revenge. Belle's attention was focused on a little feather within a glass case. It was a beautiful thing; soft and red and clearly of some value. But her eyes focused on its little placard. "The Phoenix feather used by Cinderella to trap Rumpelstiltskin, the Dark One". How could twelve little words be so heartbreaking? What had they done to him? Was he hurt? She wiped the tears off her lashes and sniffed deeply, then sniffed again. She could smell burning. She turned to call out to Mulan, but the Warrior was already rushing to the room, the Princess following in her wake.

In a single movement Mulan had launched herself from just within the doorway to halfway across the room as she batted a fireball away from Emma. She slid across the floor, sword in hand, as that woman from the pit looked around at the five faces now staring at her and said, exasperated, "We're not done." And then she was gone and the wardrobe was burning.

-

Short moments later and Mulan was, predictably, pacing the room, angry at herself for being fooled so thoroughly by Cora. Emma and Aurora looked confused, and Snow looked heartbroken. Belle stood, waiting for a decision to be made. And then an argument broke out, the others bickering through their pain at Lancelot's death. "And who's going to lead us? You?" "No. Her." Nominating leaders in the fight against Cora. A good plan.

"I'm honored, but Emma and I, we still have to find a way to Storybrooke" That was a fair point; they had to get home. "We'll help you. We'll find a way, won't we?" Well. That was easy. Now it would be easier to tell Mulan she wanted to go there too, since they were planning to help. "Yes." Even the Princess was agreeing! "Perhaps it will help me channel my anger" was all she offered in ways of an explanation, a small smile on her face. Mulan turned to Belle. "Belle?" Well, she had to tell them at some point. Why not now? Belle nodded.

"Yes. I will help you find a way to open a portal to your land. And when we are done, perhaps you can take me with you?" You could practically hear the crickets it was so quiet. The four women stared at her in mounting surprise, Aurora with her mouth gaping open in an un-ladylike manner. "What?" Belle turned to Snow. "You are not the only one who wishes to be reunited with her True Love." And she stalked out the room before they could ask exactly who her love was.

-

It took those ridiculous women far too long to leave, Snow and her daughter hanging back to have some sickening little bonding moment. But finally they were gone and Cora could re-materialize in the room. She collected the wardrobe ashes in triumph.


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place only in Storybrooke, because confrontations are fun.

He had been pestering the blue gnat outside Town Hall when he saw it, the little poster at the top left of the board, at a height he had to slightly gaze up at. At the top was one word in bold. _Missing_. Mr. Gold's rage consumed him. The face in the middle of the poster was unmistakable in its beauty. Her hair gently curled around her face, her eyes a piercing blue. The bas... he'd even drawn her _smiling_. Like she was ever going to smile again. Like she was even _able_ to.

His darling Belle gazed out from within her little paper prison, the image unmistakably her. Beneath her likeness was written 'Please contact 'Game of Thorns' with information'. Gold's grip tightened on his cane and his knuckles whitened. He turned with a purpose, his war path redirected from the Mayor to the florist.

People crossed the street to avoid the fire in his gaze.

-

He wasn't optimistic. He knew the chances of seeing his little Belle ever again were slim to none. That... beast had stolen her away and had probably ravaged her and torn her apart and eaten her flesh... okay probably not. The stories said he had been human once, and Belle always said books contained _some_ elements of truth, and to ignore them would be foolish. But then again, trying to convince himself his daughter's death had been painless was foolish too. He sighed as the bell above his door rang (a painful reminder) and he turned to address another customer. "Hello, how may I he-"

His words were cut short as the air was forced from his lungs and he was lifted into the air by an unseen force. "You.." he choked out. "My daughter... my Belle". If he had thought the beast was angry when he came in, he was all the more so now. He was across the room at a speed not even remotely natural for a man with a heavy limp. The cane - the same cane as the last time he had seen this imp - was soon pressed against his throat as he was forced against a wall.

"Don't you _dare_ speak her name!" His eyes were glowing, burning into the Once-Lord, pinning him to the wall. Maurice tried to speak but the demon continued. "You had her love! And you shut her out! You had her love, and you _destroyed her!_ " Maurice thought back to his beating, and realized this one mirrored the first, at least in speech, but now he knew what the monster meant. "She's gone forever. She's not coming back." The Imp dropped the Lord to the ground and stepped back when he summoned fire in his palm. "She's dead?" was all Maurice could say as he fought for his breath, and the Dark One heard a statement and not a question.

"Yes. And it's _your fault!"_

Maurice didn't understand.

-

Beating this lump of a man with his cane was no more satisfying than it had been the first time around. Death by fire would perhaps be more fun. The heat swirled above his hand as the other man met his gaze. "You killed her." His accent, so like Belle's, and it was accusing _him_ of killing her? As he raised his hand the statement was repeated, this time with tears, and now Rumpelstiltskin could hear the question. He closed his fist and the fire evaporated. He pointed at the fallen Lord. "No. _You did_." The man was clearly confused, and the darkness within the Imp began to rage.

"I let her go and she returned to you. But you locked her away and _tortured_ her until she couldn't take it anymore and she _killed herself!_ " With each word he inched closer to the man on the floor until he was screeching and spitting into his face. His anger seethed until the man said "You let her go?" Then the confusion took over "I haven't seen her since you stole her away! What did you do to her?" Rumpelstiltskin was at a loss for words. This man wasn't lying. "What did I do? I did nothing but let her go free! And she didn't return home? But Regina said..." The anger flared once more.

_Regina._

-

Maurice had been certain he was going to die. One moment the Dark One had been stood before him, fire in his eyes, and the next he was gone, the name of the Mayor on his lips as he was consumed by smoke. None of what he said made sense. His Belle was dead? But if what the Imp had said was true, he believed _Maurice_ to be the one responsible for her passing. Maurice knew he wasn't, but if the Dark One thought he was... his daughter hadn't met her fate at the Imp's hand. Which meant she may not be dead at all! Because the Dark One had let her go.

Why would he let her go?

-

He disappeared from the florist's shop and reappeared in the Mayoral Manor. The lowly creature was nowhere in sight so he raised his cane and swept it through the air, effectively destroying a nice little vase the woman had. She stormed out of her study, clearly anticipating her step-son in law or some other such person. Needless to say she was surprised when the Dark One pinned her to a wall, some six feet in the air. He snarled at her, and she could barely understand his words.

"Where. Is. Belle?"

-

In her opinion, that confrontation had gone as well as could be expected. She had informed the Imp, quite politely, that the last time she had seen his little maid was when she was bleeding to death in the forest somewhere in Maleficent's territory. Nothing to do with her. She had no idea where she was, if she was in Storybrooke or if she had somehow avoided the curse. The Dark One threatened her with death (again) and then left, once again believing her that his True Love was dead. He never questioned her lies, not that it mattered. She almost definitely _was_ dead, this time around. Regina smirked.

She had won again.


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I've planned out the rest of the chapters, hurrah! Except for the last one. I don't know how to end this fic :(  
> But here is chapter 27, enjoy!
> 
> Still owning nothing ^-^

"I don't know if I can do this. I'm not a very good liar."  
"Oh it's not really a lie Aurora. Lancelot _did_ die an honorable death and Cora _did_ escape. All true."  
"Just... leave the particulars to us."

They'd been bickering all night and into the early hours of the morning, and both Belle and Mulan were growing tired of it. They rolled their eyes at each other, and Belle glanced back at the three women trailing them. She was still watching them as Aurora suggested the panic they would cause was 'unnecessary' when she walked right into Mulan's back. The Warrior had stopped at the sight of the unguarded watchtower. She told them all to stay close, and went on ahead. Belle regretted not having her sword. They jogged to the small village, and stopped at the horrific sight before their eyes.

-

He had watched as she had gone around, collecting their hearts, and was relieved to see that several of the curse's survivors had left the sanctuary after it was broken. That creepy guy with the grin was gone, and the mermaid, as well as a little faun with a red scarf. When the Witch was finished he lay down beneath bodies as directed and waited for Belle and her travelling companions to return. By some stroke of luck Belle was gone too (she was a good friend) and had been spared this awful fate - he would wish no harm on her, directly or otherwise.

-

Bodies. Everywhere. Mulan insisted they had been protected here, but Aurora could focus on nothing. All she could see, could smell, was death. She could even taste it on the air. Emma was wandering between corpses, Queen Snow checking the buildings. Belle was closing the eyes of those she had known best. She looked up as Queen Snow said that their deaths had come at the hands of Cora, and then continued to the next body. As Aurora stood staring, Emma pointed to a hand a short ways from Belle. "Hey. Hey, look!" The hand was moving.

They each rushed forward to help, Mulan dragging a body off the fallen man. Aurora turned his body so his face was out the dirt. "Please.. please, help me."

-

It was distressing for Belle, to see so many of her friends lying on the ground, their bodies ravaged and their hearts stolen. It was some comfort when Emma spotted Killian, still alive, on the ground. They reassured him of his safety as he scanned their faces, and helped him to his feet.

Some time later and Killian was sat, facing away from her, anguish written across his features. Snow and Aurora were nearby, the former setting up a fire for a meal, and Emma and Mulan walked towards them. Belle stood a small distance away, watching, running her fingers up and down a particularly deep scar. Her cloak was thrown over her shoulders, and it seemed that her red leathers had been destroyed in the attack. Her book was safe, though, and she tucked it in her cloak. Emma handed the Blacksmith, and the Princess, (chipped) cups of water, and began to speak with him. The way the blond was standing, she seemed accusatory. The four women soon moved forward to stand around him as he told them his story, but Belle stayed back.

Killian had always been over confident, and this meeker version of him didn't seem right. It didn't seem real.

-

This guy was sat there, all afraid, and suddenly his attention was focused on Mary Margaret. "You have a grandson?" He certainly did cheer up fast. And now he was offering his assistance. No chance. It wasn't long before Emma put a knife to his throat. "You're not guiding us anywhere."

It took next to no effort to haul the guy to a tree, especially since Mulan and Mary Margaret were more than happy to help. Aurora suggested more than once that maybe they should stop, and Bella(?) just hung back, out of the way and worried. The three of them tied him securely to a tree, and, after the guy claimed to be a simple blacksmith _again_ , Emma whistled for the ogres. She hoped the guy talked, 'cos she didn't really want to see one of those ever again. Aurora seemed concerned, but Emma just walked away. And then the guy broke.

"Good for you" Aha! "you bested me." Totally called it. "I could count the amount of people who've done that on one hand" And the guy was a joker too. "Who are you?" "Killian Jones" His eyes swept to Bella, who frowned "But most people have taken to calling me by my more colorful moniker." A pause, for dramatic effect. "Hook". No. No, no, nonono. There's the Enchanted Forest, and maybe Wonderland, but Neverland? Seriously?? 

"Captain Hook?" She just had to be sure, 'cos there was no way this guy was _that_ guy from _Neverland_.

"So you've heard of me" The guy grinned, and Mary Margaret pulled a hook from his satchel. Fantastic. And the ogres were roaring. Fantastic again. Emma began to question the pirate, and he was clearly enjoying his moment of triumph as he informed them the destroyed wardrobe still held an enchantment. Why would Cora want to get to Storybrooke anyway?

Mulan suggested leaving the 'blacksmith' behind, and that was perfectly fine. They began to walk away. As Bella stepped forward as though to protest the decision, the guy called them back. He promised to help, as long as they took him too. Then he told them about a magic compass, because everything in this place was enchanted, and Mary Margaret insisted it was too good to be true. So Emma stepped forwards and asked the guy "Why does Captain Hook want to got to Storybrooke?" The answer wasn't really what she expected.

"To exact revenge on the man that took my hand. Rumpelstiltskin."

-

 _No._ Why would he cut off somebody’s hand? That was just unnecessarily cruel. Although now that she thought about it, there had been a lone hand curled up and preserved in the Great Hall... but she'd assumed it was fake! Oh Gods... At least Killian hadn't heard the little sound she'd made when he spoke the name of her True Love (she hasn't said or heard his name since the 'encounter' with Regina at least 29 years ago), although she was pretty sure Mulan had. The others were all too busy freeing him to notice, since they would have to move quickly to escape the approaching ogres. Belle didn't even want to think about why Rumpelstiltskin would cut off somebody’s hand, and then keep it. It couldn't have been payment for a deal - what use would he have for a hand?

They were walking now, another lengthy trek through the woods, and dusk was fast approaching. Hook was leading the way, stating the compass was 'just over this ridge'. Mulan walked a half-step behind him, Aurora a half-step behind her. Snow and Emma were a dozen or so paces behind them, and Belle walked alone somewhere between the five of them. Belle stopped at the top of the ridge, and looked up at an enormous plant. She'd read a book about this. It was one of the few remaining doorways to the world of the giants. Emma was the first to step towards it, and Belle was the last.

The beanstalk loomed before them.


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one got kinda long, so I thought I would split it into two. So I did ;)  
> Enjoy! :)

"It reminds me of death."  
"Encouraging."

They stood below the beanstalk now, and Aurora was wholly uncomfortable. How were they ever going to reach the top? And then to subdue the Giant when they got there? Impossible. And then the pirate told the most _delightful_ story about the death of all the other giants, and the one that still remained. Whoever went up the beanstalk probably wouldn't be coming down again, which was a bit of a problem. _Then_ the pirate said the plant would repel intruders and he had a counter spell enough for two. With nothing left to live for, Aurora decided she could be one half of that pair. There was nobody alive to miss her, and maybe she would be able to see her Phillip again in somewhere other than her awful nightmares.

The pirate held out the arm bracer in his one remaining hand, and nobody stepped forward to take it, although Belle and Mulan seemed to be silently arguing with one another about it.

-

It was all going so well, and then the bickering began. Mulan wanted to go because she had the most experience, and Snow White wanted to go because it was _her_ family, and Aurora... wait, why did Aurora want to go? She had no loved ones, and so had lost hope. But she would still sacrifice herself for strangers, so that they may continue if she fell. Belle's appreciation for the Princess grew. Before Belle could suggest that she go (she _did_ so enjoy battling monsters and beasts!), Emma stepped nominated herself and stated that she would not fail. She would do anything to get back to Henry.

Surprisingly her friend (Aurora said she might be her mother) didn't argue, and Emma asked Mulan for anything she had that might help. The two walked away from the group, and Mulan removed a small pouch from her satchel. All Belle could catch was the word poppies, but that was enough to know what it was. Sleeping powder. They discussed something further, that Belle couldn't catch _any_ of (save Mulan's dark expression) and then Emma walked to Killian, who clasped the band to her wrist, and rolled her eyes as he demanded his hook back. Returning the hook and ignoring the sarcastic remarks, Emma turned to the beanstalk and they began to climb.

-

_"Give me ten hours. If I'm not back, cut it down."_

This was what the new Princess had asked her to do, and Mulan had promised. She kept her promises; they became her duty. But this... Her Majesty would be furious as soon as she realized what was happening. It didn't matter that her daughter (how was that even possible?) had asked her to do this. She would be angry anyway. There was such an enormous possibility that the blond was already dead, never to climb back down that beanstalk. But if Mulan cut it down, the death would be on her. To murder a Princess... even if she was a never-crowned Princess from somebody else's kingdom that had _asked_ for this to happen... was it still murder? Treason?

Mulan sat, watching the shadow creep toward the end of her crudely drawn line-in-the-dirt.

-

She had forgotten how this felt, to have someone by her side, comforting her through her nightmares. It was such a wonderful feeling... Aurora's head rested in Queen Snow's lap, as the latter stroked her hair and said soothing words to keep the darkness and the fire away. She had never experienced these flames before, not truly. She had never properly succumbed to sleep since her Awakening, just in case she was transported back to the empty room. Or never woke again. But now she was back in another equally empty room, this one filled only with flames. But it was so reassuring to know somebody was there, _right there_ , to wake her up again.

-

Mulan was hiding something, of that Belle was certain. She was just crouched there, watching the line she had drawn. Every few minutes she would glance at the sky, at the beanstalk, at her stick-in-the-dirt, and would then trace her fingertips lightly against the pommel of her sword. Every few seconds the muscles of her face would twitch. Then, suddenly, it was like she'd come to a decision.

She moved abruptly to her feet, and drew her sword.

-

Snow could remember all too well the horrors of that room... but how was it Aurora could go there too? Was it the Sleeping Curse? All Snow knew was how comforting it had been to know her Charming was right there, by her side. At first she hadn't thought another flame would have brought her any sense of calm, but strangely that one little candle did. That, and having David beside her. But now he was with their grandson, and poor Aurora was all alone.

She looked up as Mulan (her class would love that! They'd looked at the poem once... a day... for 28 years... anyway) jumped up, striding towards the beanstalk, sword in hand. Snow unceremoniously shoved Aurora's head off her lap as she hurried to block the path of the Warrior, shouting as she went. But she was too late, and the sword swung forwards and the sound reverberated through her skull...


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 500+ views ^-^  
> *hugs*  
> Chapter 29, beanstalks and dreams.

Aurora woke with her start as she fell to the ground, but soon picked herself up. She cried out as she watched Queen Snow rush forwards and Mulan force her sword through the air in a powerful arc.

The sound was horrendous.

She didn't know how she possibly managed it, but in no time at all the Beauty was there, stopping the blow from being fatal. Belle held her sword at arm's length, where it was useless, pinned to the beanstalk by Mulan's sword. Both of their arms vibrated from the impact, and the awful sound of metal on metal rang in all their ears. Then Queen Snow leapt.

-

Before she could reach Mulan, Belle was there, blocking the attack. Both swords fell to the floor from the recoil of the impact (sword-on-sword, and then swords-on-beanstalk), but before either could react Snow had Mulan pinned to the ground. "No-o!" Aurora was yelling, and so was Mulan. "Emma gave me ten hours!" Snow shook her by the shoulders. "So you'd leave her to die?" Aurora still had tears on her cheeks from her nightmare. "She may already be dead..." Mulan murmured to Snow, who shook her head insistently, and then shook Mulan's shoulders again.

In the barest of movements their positions were reversed and Mulan had Snow pinned to the ground. "This is your daughter's wish!" An unbelievable amount of strength from such a small woman, and suddenly Mulan's back was to the floor again, Snow's arm braced against her throat. "I don't care what you say, you do not put my daughter in danger!" The young Queen was practically sobbing.

-

Aurora was at a loss for what to do. The Beauty had her by the arms and gripped tightly, refusing to relinquish her hold as Aurora fought to help. Queen Snow and Mulan were grappling, neither gaining a true advantage, both yelling at the tops of their lungs. Beside Aurora Belle twitched, wanting to help but unable.

-

"Stop!" Emma yelled as she fell (intentionally) to the ground. Her breath left her with a 'whoosh' as her ankles made impact with the ground and gave in. Her roommate was (unsuccessfully) trying to pin a warrior of Chinese legend to the ground, fury writ across her face. Honestly. Can't she leave 'em alone for 10 hours?

As Emma lay in the dirt Mary Margaret lurched to her feet, dust in her hair. "Emma!" She ran forward to grasp Emma's arm (way too tightly) "Are you okay?" In her panic her voice raised, like, an octave, which would have been hilarious in any other situation. "A small earthquake and a jump from a beanstalk, I think my brain's still rattling' around a little" She stood, MM still attached to her arm, and tried to catch her breath. She was still panting (this place was _boiling_!) when Mulan began to defend her actions. Mary Margaret was still glaring daggers, but she looked at least a little relieved when Emma presented the compass (with far less flair than she would have liked). Barely a second later and Bella asked "Where's Killian?", a look of genuine worry on her face. Emma didn't have the energy to act even remotely sympathetic of the Guyliner-Pirate's predicament, and ignored the way the other woman's face fell. Just climbed a beanstalk - had the total right to be all snarky.

-

Abandoned? At the top of a beanstalk? With only a vengeful giant for company? Irritating as Killian was (second only really to Gaston), he didn't deserve a fate like that. Belle's face twisted into a scowl, but she wasn't one to hold on to her anger. Barely a month passed before she forgave Rumpel, and the Dark Curse gave her plenty of time to forgive Regina, even if the 'Evil Queen' was the one to cast said curse. Why hate a Princess, new to this world, who only wanted to get her son back? She glanced away from the beanstalk to where Snow and Emma were heatedly discussing something, matching expressions of worry on their faces. They embraced one another, but the expressions remained.

-

_The heat and the flames, roaring at him, overpowering him. Reflected back he can see the faces, so many faces. The same, everyday, for as long as he can remember. The Sheriff is there, smiling by his mother's side, and the nice man from the newspaper too. There's Mrs. Nolan, wandering through the convenience store, saying bless you to the clerk as he sneezes. Doctor Hopper as well, all twitchy and sad. But nothing changes, nobody changes. No-one but Henry. And what if it's his fault? That they're stuck this way because of him?_

_He stares at the mirrors, his fears and his regrets leaping out at him. Miss Blanchard gives him the book and his mother becomes the Evil Queen and suddenly it's all so clear. But the smoke, it's blinding. He can't quite see how this will play out. But look, he can see in the glass that he wasn't enough. Emma didn't stay in Storybrooke. And for the rest of forever, everyone stays the same. Everyone except Henry._

_And he knows it's just a dream - he's had this dream before. But this time, like last time, there is someone staring at him from the corner. Someone who's face he can't see. He meets their eye and..._

... "AARGH!"


	30. Chapter 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 30 Chapters in! Hurrah! And 600 hits! Hugs all around!!  
> In which Emma and Snow learn the identities of their travel companions, and Belle learns her supposed fate. Enjoy :)  
> I own nothing!

It was Wolfstime, she knew. She could sense it. But the Dwarves were there and they were celebrating finding the fairy dust in the mines, so she could not leave, not yet. And then, for some reason, Billy was there too. Gus, he said. A mouse. He wanted to spend time with her, and she couldn't think of anything to say. When had talking become so hard? How could she explain to him that she is a monster? An awful, awful monster. If only Snow were here! She always knew what to say. If only _anyone_ were here, anyone at all to stand by her side.

But there wasn't, and all Red had been able to do was stutter and say 'no thank you, perhaps another time?'

-

_"He-aahhh!!" All she can hear as the fire leaps around her is that awful, awful sound. The flames, angry as wolves, leap at her head, her face. She shields herself as best as she can but still they jump at her, and she is huddled beneath an ocean of purple, trying to hide. Her face is turned from the mirrors, but the pull from them is too great, and she knows that soon she will be looking again. She will watch, once more, as Maleficent turns her Phillip into a monster. She will watch as he flees from her, in fear of causing her pain. She will watch her mother fade, the memories of these nightmares too much for her. And she will watch Phillip die for her, as he confesses his love to one of the three women standing around him. He could mean any of them, but what will hurt her most, what will always hurt her the most, is the fact that the last thing he saw before he died was the stricken face of Belle the Beauty as she watched him fall to the floor. And still she can hear it. But now it sounds like a voice, getting closer, and she looks up to see a hand, a dark hand, reaching out to her. Fire pounces on the small form again, and then the spirit is gone. She remains for a while longer, but then she too is pulled away. Sobbing._

-

Emma watches as Mary Margaret shakes the Sleeping Beauty (so awesome) awake again. She had been whimpering in her sleep, tears streaming down her face. She awoke with a start and then MM was soothing her, and for a brief, irrational moment Emma wished her mother was comforting _her_ instead. But the moment was gone as quick as it had arrived as Bella said "A full moon. It's Wolfstime." At the (probably seriously/obviously) confused look on Emma's face, she clarified. "The time of the Lycanthropes". Emma blinked, and Bella rolled her eyes.

"Werewolves"

-

They all sat around the fire, Aurora being comforted by Snow, Mulan a few paces to the right. Emma sat on the other side of the circle, clearly trying to separate herself from the motherly scene. Belle was on the left of Aurora and Snow, just outside of the little lean-to shelter they had created, carving another Dragon out of a broken branch. Emma clearly did not believe her werewolf comment, so she gave a little back-story, straight out of the only book she owned (which she still had, well protected in the hidden pockets of her cloak). She explained how it was believed to be a biological curse, one passed down through generations but also spread through bites. She recited all of the facts she could remember (which, after 28 years, was all of them), and ended her little tale with a wistful "I've never met one though..."

She was more than a little surprised when Snow said that she had. Emma was completely taken aback. Snow continued on, saying sadly "My best friend is a werewolf. She should have turned by now." She smiled at the thought, but was snapped out of it when Emma said, "Wait, I thought Ruby was your best friend?" Snow blinked and nodded. "Yeah but, her real name is Red." And that sparked a discussion between the two about 'Little Red Riding Hood' and 'The Big Bad Wolf(?)' and 'Granny' that Belle barely managed to follow. Mulan and Aurora were equally confused.

The discussion over, Emma turned to them and said "So if you're Mulan, hero of China, and you're Aurora, the Sleeping Beauty, who are you?" (She turned to Belle) "I can't think of any fairy tale characters named Bella. Unless we have the same last name, but that's not a fairy tale." None of the three really got the joke, and Belle caught up with the whole 'fairy tale' thing fast enough to be able to say, "Actually, my name is Belle." After a moment Emma's jaw dropped, which highlighted the fact that she had clearly not been raised a princess. "As in Beauty and the Beast? I love that story! But who's your beast? He doesn't have fur does he?" Emma wrinkled her nose, half in jest, and Belle replied testily “He’s not a beast! And no fur. Scales, though."

She soon realized that the last part had probably not been the best thing to say, as her companions creased their foreheads in concentration. "The only person I can think of with scales is Rumplestiltskin but..." Snow soon trailed off, and Belle grinned sheepishly, shrugging her shoulders. She could feel the blush spread across her face. Now all of their jaws dropped, princess or no. Anger flashed briefly across Mulan's face at this long-hidden secret concerning the 'darkest of demons', and Aurora sputtered in confusion. Emma just stared stupidly, and Snow said something that took Belle completely by surprise.

"But he thinks you're dead."


	31. Chapter 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 31! Mistrust forms within the group, friends are made in dreams, and poor Hook feels abandoned :(  
> Enjoy! :D (I own nothing!)

_Why would he want you to put a golden egg into a Dragon? It just doesn't make sense."_  
 _"Perhaps it was because the Dragon was really Maleficent?"_  
 _"You don't think it will have negative repercussions later, do you?"  
_ _"I don't know, but strangely enough that whole Dragon thing wasn't even the oddest part of today’s experiences."_

_Snow snorted. What could possibly have been stranger than that? Nothing, that's what! She said as much aloud, and she could feel Charming shake his head. She was leaning against him at the moment in a high backed chair, too exhausted to do anything but talk, despite having been asleep for hours. Emotionally drained, Charming had suggested. But she could say like this forever; warm, comfortable, listening to the beat of her True Love's heart... "...een in love."_

_At that, she was instantly alert. "The Dark One? In love?" The expression on her face must have mirrored her feelings, and she watched her Charming try (and so adorably fail) to suppress a grin. "That's what I said! Then he said 'It was a brief flicker of light amid an ocean of darkness'. It was so weirdly poetic and heartfelt." Charming shook his head, and Snow frowned, eyebrows crinkling together. "Was? What happened to her?"_

_All traces of humor faded from Charming's eyes as he gave Snow the answer she desperately did not want, and he shrugged. "She died."_

-

He thought she was dead? Why would he think that? Had somebody lied to him? But there was no one foolish enough or brave enough to do that, except maybe Regina. Belle involuntarily wrinkled her nose in disgust, and it made sense. Of course Regina would have told him that. Anything to cause him pain, to have some small victory against him. That woman was surprisingly easy to figure out. Belle sighed and gazed over at Aurora. Of all her companions, the Princess was the only one who remained by the fire, and that was only because she was sleeping. When Snow had told her that Rumple thought her dead, Belle asked that, upon their return, they not mention her to him. She would tell him she was alive herself, and if Belle didn't make it over, they wouldn't mention her to Rumplestiltskin. There had been some argument, but they saw the logic in it. If they told him she was alive and well, then he would probably hunt Regina down if she wasn't there to stop him. Emma's son Henry probably wouldn't approve of that.

Snow and Emma were off somewhere now, as was Mulan. The Warrior had stalked off almost immediately, and Belle could only hope she was not too angry with her. She could see Emma wandering among the trees, weaving through them and tearing off leaves. Snow was just sat, staring into space. The Princess twitched her fingers in her sleep.

-

She knew that Belle had a True Love, but Rumplestiltskin? That man, that _monster_ , had stolen her father from her! And left her with nothing more than an enchanted sword! Mulan swore in anger and tried to focus her mind. Cora. They had to deal with Cora.

-

Emma sauntered over to MM, who sat staring off into nothing. "So..." she began, awkward as always "some surprising revelations then, huh?" She grinned, trying to relieve the stress written across her... roommate’s face. But Mary Margaret shook her head and said, "She's lying." Her nose was all scrunched and there was a little crinkle between her eyebrows that looked really familiar (until she realized where she'd seen it before, and on whom, and then decided it was obviously just something everyone did) and she looked deep into Emma's eyes. "Well..." the blonde began “my lie detector didn't go off, so she believes what she’s saying.” She shrugged at her own explanation.

"No Emma. You don't understand. Rumplestiltskin actually said the words 'she died' to Charming. That means his love is definitely dead, because no one would lie to or fool the Dark One. He's lived for at least 300 years, we think..." (wait, 300? Damn. That guy looks good for his age. Like, seriously good...) "...so his love is probably from long, long before. Belle can't be her. So either she's lying so that we take her with us, or he's cast a spell over her so she believes he loves her, for whatever twisted reason. And if she _is_ lying about why she wants to go, then her real reason can't mean anything good."

Emma leaned back a little, hands wrapped around her ankles, which were crossed over one another. Perhaps, but what if she was his love? She shook her head. She couldn't love him, that guy was a beast. And apparently, he used to have scales. She shook her head in confusion, trying to dispel her thoughts as her nose scrunched and her eyebrows crinkled.

-

_Screaming. An awful, broken screaming. It fills his ears, tears at his soul. The woman is back, the one with the purple dress. That is all he sees of her. That is all he ever sees. That and her arms batting at the flames. She is fighting the urge, he sees, to look at the mirrors. Terror fills him as he steps forwards and speaks, the flames writhing around him, sensing the magic he holds. He reaches out to her and the fire burns hotter and..._

_... he is there again, that awful spirit. She sees him now, and his gaze pierces her soul. He clutches at something at his breast, perhaps another demon's medallion? But then the fire stops roaring at her and there is a soft silence around her and all she feels are the burns on her arms as the cool air plays across them. It is a child, and he is so small. How could she have ever believed him to be evil? He is just a boy, and he speaks to comfort her. "Wait; don't be scared." She stares at him, unmoving, until he asks her name. She answers him shakily and he grins as though he recognizes it. He glances down at the charm around his neck as it begins to glow and crackle, and he tells her his name. He is Henry. He soon disappears as the glow of his necklace envelopes him. The flames leap up eagerly to replace him, but she remembers his name when she awakens._

-

Belle was there when her eyes opened, a kind hand resting on her shoulder. Concern danced in her blue eyes before another blinding smile crossed her face. She helped Aurora up but already Queen Snow and Emma were rushing over. They, and Mulan, reached Aurora and Belle just as the former said "... a boy. He said his name... he said it was Henry." So focused was she on Belle that she missed the identical looks of shock on the faces of the Queen and her daughter.

-

Ten hours. Ten hours he had been chained up, surrounded by rubble, at the top of that ridiculous beanstalk. Then the Giant had appeared and he thought he was dead meat for sure. But then he was freed, even if the Giant pointedly ignored all attempts at conversation, and he began his journey back down the beanstalk. A long, tiring journey that took well into the night, through the rain. When he got back down, he did not _really_ want to see that crazy Witch Cora at the bottom. She was worse than her daughter.

But she was there, and he had to explain how he had let the Swan girl trick him into being trapped up there. He had lost the compass, and was being accused of betrayal. He had wanted to reply with 'I'm a Pirate, love', but felt it best to at least have _one_ hand when he faced his Crocodile. But of course what he did reply was not good enough, and so he had been abandoned again. These crazy women had no sense of loyalty. But still, he was a lying, manipulative sod, so he would find a way to Storybrooke somehow. Of the lot of them, that Princess was the weak link. He just needed a plan...


	32. Chapter 32

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kind of a filler chapter here. Chapter 32! Enjoy ^-^

And Rumplestiltskin thought dead was dead! In hindsight, she was rather glad that those noble _Princesses_ had not bothered to bury the bodies. Or check Lancelot's hut. It made things _so_ much easier.  


-

Looking over at Mary Margaret's face, there was no way she'd misheard what Aurora had said. And what she'd said had _definitely_ been Henry. She yanked Belle away by her shoulder, managing to ignore the yelp of pain she'd caused by touching her scars (there was always the possibility the girl was lying to them so she could get to Storybrooke, so she made herself not care) and immediately settled in front of the young Princess' face. Ignoring the look of confusion and startlement (was that a word?) she reached into the pocket of her jeans. She grasped a crumpled picture and yanked it out, immediately thrusting it in the other woman's face. "Is this him? Is this the boy you saw?" Her own eyes were wide, and she imagined the Princess matched her expression as she reached out to take the photo and said "Yes... This is Henry!"

-

The Queen's somehow daughter had been asking her about young Henry, an oddly accurate portrait in her hand, and Belle had been sprawled on the floor, her face distorted by pain as she moved to kneel. Mulan had been a few paces away, confused, and Queen Snow had been knelt beside Princess Emma. Then the Princess said something that sounded like an accusation, and before Aurora could defend herself the Queen interrupted.

"Maybe it wasn't a dream."  
"What?"  
"That room. I've been there..."

And Aurora could see that the Queen had lied, to her _face_ , and her words in defense seemed pointless and small. But Mulan's question was a good one, because a room in a dream being real was a terrifying prospect, but to the Warrior it seemed as though the answer of 'the Sleeping Curse' made sense. The Queen continued to converse with her somehow-daughter (who had an odd tone of guilt and regret in her voice) but Aurora was still angry. Even as Belle placed a hand on her arm, hoping to calm her, Aurora shrugged her off. "What else did you lie about?" And as though she had a right, the Queen became offended, insisting she had not lied. But too soon Aurora was dragged away from the argument by the Princess, who asked after the young Prince. But the Queen, who though rumored brilliant did not seem a good ruler at that moment, said that they were okay. Aurora herself agreed with Princess Emma. They were so far from okay.

-

It seemed the lot of them could not go five minutes without arguing, and Belle's memories were sent back to her days in her father's court, watching the Royals and Nobles argue back and forth among each other. She could say in all honesty that she missed that the least. That and Gaston. Aurora shrugged her arm off as she let her anger build, and soon the topic changed again. At Snow White's insistence that they 'could stop her now', and Mulan's confused 'How?' Belle realized that Snow was right. They did have a way home. They could communicate with those in Storybrooke.

Maybe even with Rumplestiltskin.

"We can communicate with them. With Henry." Snow White nodded her agreement, that was her thinking, and said "Rumplestiltskin will know how to help us." Emma blanched and Aurora frowned, but ultimately the blond Princess said: "Henry. We can talk to him." Her voice was filled with awe and hope. Unsurprisingly Aurora, as always, had something to say about that. "Wait, wait..." But before she got the chance to argue, Emma said "Yeah Princess, you're going back to sleep." It was more than apparent through all of this that the misplaced Princess had never been raised with etiquette lessons, or taught how to politely converse. In Belle's opinion, it just made the whole thing that much more fun to watch.


	33. Chapter 33

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 33. The journey through the woods continues, but the plan is falling apart D:

_Why does_ she _have to be the one to do this? Hasn't the Queen been under a Sleeping Curse too? She supposes that is not the point though, and at least she has found a use for herself. She continues a search for the Child, trying in vain to ignore the embers that leap at her, call to her. She feels the urge to just thrust her arm through one of the flames to see how the room reacts. Thankfully her body has more sense than her mind, and her arms remain where they are, partly shielding her face. She calls out again. "Henry?" She chokes again and curls over herself, but then she hears his voice again. She sees him there, in the far corner, and the first thing she notices is that his clothes have changed. The second is that he is younger than she previously thought, and it saddens her that he is trapped in this place too. Who would be cruel enough to curse a child? But she knows why she is there, and she knows that it is important. So she tells him she is with his mother and grandmother (and is glad for a moment that he is not their age too) and says that they just want to go home. She tells him what to do, what to say to Rumplestiltskin, and for the rest of the night they comfort one another, staying close by each other's side. Once again Aurora is glad that time moves differently in this world, and one night lasts no longer than a dull half-day in court. As the room, and the morning, begins to pull them apart again, she wonders if she should perhaps have told Henry to tell Rumplestiltskin that Belle still lives. But she supposes it is not important. The girl cannot be his True Love, because Monsters do not get Happy Endings, and what Beauty could love a Beast?_

-

He had rather hoped he would never have to see the Witch again, after what she did to Belle. Was it not enough he had saved her son from the torment of the flames? Apparently she didn't think so, that Gods-awful wench, as she marched into his shop, damn near murdering the bell above the door. But they didn't have anything to say to each other until she clenched her jaw and spat: "My mother is trying to get to Storybrooke. Now would you please pay attention you impossible Imp!" Now of all the things she could have said, that got his attention.

"And what makes you say that, dearie?" he queried, eyebrow raised. On the outside his expression gave away nothing, but on the inside his blackened heart beat that much quicker. If there was anyone who could stop him from finding his Baelfire, it was Cora. "Henry. He went back to that room, in the Netherworld. That ridiculous Princess was there again, but this time she said Emma and Mary Margaret were there, battling against Cora. They're on their way, and with a certain one-handed Pirate." "Ah yes, our favorite four people in the world" he smiled sardonically. The Evil Queen merely narrowed her eyes and said, "We need to find a way to make sure my mother doesn't get here. Because she _will_ be the one who comes through that portal. And I won't let her get to Henry."

He could rather feel the hatred she was pouring into the look she was giving him, but he ignored it, because he knew Cora couldn't beat him. He said as much, although it turned out Regina had heard a different version of the story. But, he supposed, it would do no good if she _did_ come to Storybrooke. She might break the things in his shop, or harm his son. So he began to form a plan. 

-

A part of her wanted to go to the Netherworld herself, so she could speak to her Rumplestiltskin a little more directly. It was an alarmingly large part of her, that she tried very hard to ignore. It was quite easily done, with watching her dress swish around her legs and Aurora bickering with Mulan, and Emma asking Snow every five minutes if they were 'nearly there yet'. But eventually the Once-Queen had decided that yes, they were there, because where they were was relatively safe high ground. Aurora's constant reassurances did little for the blond Princess, and it probably didn't help that her mother was treating it like a military maneuver.

As they walked Belle had fallen behind, most probably because she was watching her skirts swish and not where she was placing her feet (but she still hadn't broken her ankle, thank you very much), so she was behind Mulan and Aurora when the latter's dress was torn upon a branch. She heard the argument, and was dragged into it when Mulan said they had sworn to Phillip to protect her. She could only nod in response, finding it best not to say that she, too, wanted to find this 'portal to a strange land'. But she was proud when the once-selfish Princess raised her chin and stalked off, stating her wish to help the boy and send the others home.

When Mulan met her eye after Aurora stalked off, she merely shrugged and said 'Nobody should decide her fate but her', and she walked past the Warrior too.

-

It was some time later that Emma began to pace, Snow White moving off to comfort her. Mulan knelt by Aurora's side as she slept, and Belle herself was sat on a nearby log, back turned upon the good Queen and her daughter. She was whittling more arrows, although Snow barely needed them. When she heard a rustle of leaves she thought nothing of it, not even when she sensed Mulan rise to her feet. She turned only when she heard the Warrior draw her sword and call the Princess back from her sleep. She drew her own sword (concealed quite nicely within her cloak) at the sight of men around them, but was confused at who they were.

She knew these men to be dead.

-

 

_Burning. Burning constantly. Burning clothes, burning hair, burning flesh. The smell invades her nose as she searches for the boy, and the barest glimpse of him is there, on the other side of the room. She screams for him, and he screams at her, but the fire is screaming too and too soon do the flames rise up to claim her and she is lifted up by a whirlwind, the deep booming voice calling to her and..._

...she awoke to see Mulan above her, yelling for her to wake up, shaking her shoulders violently. She saw the Beauty nearby too, her cloak flaring dramatically behind her as she swung her sword. Princess Emma was holding her own, Queen Snow firing her bow every which way, always finding its target. But then Mulan dragged Aurora away, and Belle tried to follow but was detained. The Warrior made as though to double back to help, but then the men from the camp were upon them, and she had to protect herself from all directions. Aurora watched on helplessly until one of them leaped at her, and she detected a foul taste on her tongue as he shoved something into her face. It all went dark, and the world faded away, and she wondered if even in this state she would dream of the flames...

-

She stumbled through the trees as she followed Mulan, the Warrior barely concealing the tears shining in her eyes. They came upon Snow and Emma sometime later, the Compass tightly in their grasp, and Belle watched as their mouths dropped open as they were informed of the abduction. Today was not going as planned.

-

When the light came back to the world Aurora found herself surrounded by dirt and chained to a wall, as though she were a common peasant thief. Upon hearing footsteps, however, she lifted her chin and made herself look as regal as possible. With her hands folded neatly over one another she watched as the woman (the Evil Queen's mother, or so she had been told) entered with a tray that she placed before her feet. She tried to goad the woman, as she had watched Belle do to Mulan many a time during their journey, but the woman had better success doing the same with Aurora, and showed no outward emotion. Or, she didn't, until Aurora flung the tray at her and she flung Aurora at the wall. 

This blacking out business really was not any fun.

-

Of all the things for Disney to get right, it got that her mother could talk to _birds!?!_ Zombies and Princesses and Beanstalks and birds weren't exactly things she thought she would ever have to be concerned about.

-

A conversation with a raven and argument over a Compass later, and they were headed in yet another new direction. They now had a new time limit, until sundown, to get the Compass to Cora, or Aurora would pay the price. Belle could see Mulan was not happy about this, that she too wanted to honor Phillip's last wish, but there was nothing they could do. And so they continued through the forest in search of a poppy plant so that they might send Snow White back in to a deep slumber.

-

When she awoke, for the _third_ time that day, it was to the face of a Pirate she definitely _did not_ want to be seeing. She fought him as hard as she could, which was admittedly not very, until she realized he was not here to harm her, but rather to free her. As she left he gave her a final message for Emma, but when she got back into the open air, to see the few bodies Cora's dark magic had left behind, she realized something was missing. She just didn't know what.

-

Mary Margaret was totally nervous, that much was obvious by the way she was constantly frowning, and Mulan was totally furious, which she couldn't hide as she butchered the undergrowth. Belle looked kinda bored, but was taking interest in the new surroundings. Emma was regretting wearing her second favorite pair of boots to go hiking in the woods. Not that she had all that much choice about it, in the end, but still. So she distracted herself by asking MM what was wrong, and what the Netherworld was like. The answer she got was more than a little bit depressing. And then they played the blame game, and she could kinda see why her roommate was so mopey all the time. But she knew that it was Regina, and that was who they should blame.


	34. Chapter 34

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I got my GCSE results yesterday, and that merits a bonus chapter, hurrah!

He wasn't really okay with it, but he supposed that if his mother was at least _trying_ , then it would turn out okay in the end. Even if Mr. Gold thought it wasn't important, Henry thought that, sometimes, intent was everything. So his mother was using her magic again, but he was okay with that because now she was using it to save his mom. Perhaps it would have made more sense for _him_ to go back to the burning room than his Gramps, 'cos he and Aurora will end up back there anyway, but he's a kid, so it wasn't like anyone was listening. And Prince Charming will always find his Snow White anyway. Sometimes it's cool to have fairy tales for family members.

Even if every now and then they have to prick themselves on spinning wheels.

-

_It is dark in the room, and she is terrified. She had always thought that the memories of this awful room would be with her for the rest of her days, but she is ashamed to admit this place is worse than she remembers. The fire leaps at her more readily than before, she thinks, but perhaps it is merely happy to see an old friend again. She ignores the voices that surround her, because she knows that they are in her head, but they are louder now. Now they don't just shout at Snow, they shout at Mary Margaret too. In all her days, Snow never expected to be called a harlot. Or to be called a bitch by Princess Abigail. And then slapped. Across the face. But her life always has been so full of surprises. Like now, for instance, when the glass of the ceiling, which was never glass before, she's sure, begins to shatter and rain down upon her. She fears for Henry, that the glass has hit him, or perhaps that it is he that has fallen through the ceiling from some separate layer of the Netherworld. But it is not Henry that she sees before her now, it is Charming._

_She runs to him, like she has so many times before, because they have found each other again. She barely listens as he explains how to defeat Cora, so caught up in the joy of seeing her husband, but absorbs the information all the same. But, she thinks, he should not be here. And he has sacrificed himself to a Sleeping Curse for her, like she did for him, and somehow her love for him expands even now. But he must awaken to protect their grandson, so she moves to wake him up. True Love's Kiss can break any curse._

_Except it doesn't, because they aren't really here. But David, her charming idiot of a husband who clearly didn't think this through, he has faith that she will wake him up. But she cries, because she knows that they might never make it home (because that is what Storybrooke is to her now, if her Emma wants to stay there), and she cries because she is waking up, and he has a potential eternity to wait for her in that burning room. Her husband, she thinks, truly is an idiot._

-

Even though she had only met the Once-Queen a short while ago, Belle felt very worried watching her lay there as though dead, her daughter worrying by her side. She did her best to distract Emma, although the woman frustratingly asked more than once if she was _absolutely sure_ that she loved Rumplestiltskin. After the third or fourth time she gave up and moved to sit on the other side of the Once-Queen, and pulled her worn book out of the expansive pockets of her cloak.

Perhaps if she'd paid more attention to her surroundings she would have noticed Mulan slip away with the Compass. As it was she hadn't been watching, and the hope she held of returning to her Rumple was diminishing by the second. Her journey into guilt wasn't really helped by the fact that Snow, now awake, and her daughter, now 'more than pissed' (her words), blamed her for not keeping a closer eye on the Warrior. Mulan was soon found though, since she was moving too quickly to properly cover her tracks. She grappled with Snow again, but the Once-Queen maintained the threat of an arrow between Mulan's shoulder blades. Belle felt useless, stood as she was with her sword limp by her side (her cloak really was _very_ useful for concealing things), and before she had a chance to leap on Snow for putting an arrow to Mulan's throat she heard a noise behind her. She turned at the sound of the rustling, sword outstretched, and within moments she came face to face with a panicked Aurora who almost walked throat-first into the blade. Both called out 'Stop!' at the same time, and the Princess pushed past Belle to liberate Mulan from her spot pinned to the floor.

She was freed, as it turned out, by a disgruntled Pirate who still wanted his revenge on Rumplestiltskin. A disgruntled Pirate who may well care for Emma. Which wasn’t surprising, since the man flirted with everyone.

-

She had to admit, the Pirate had his uses. A Princess' heart now in her grasp, and information regarding her enemies' next move. They were going to regret crossing her and Regina, and when she got to the World Without Magic, Rumplestiltskin would regret it too.


	35. Chapter 35

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 35. When Emma realizes Rumple really was a creepy dude. Enjoy ^-^

_Before the curse_

He'd never met the woman, never even learnt her name, but he broke into the Evil Queen's lair all the same to find her, to find a way to kill his Crocodile. If anyone would know, it would be this woman he invited into his home. But, she wasn't there. He broke into the highest room in the tallest tower and killed numerous guards, and she _wasn't there!_ The Queen found him, of course. Decided he would have his uses. In murdering her mother. But, as it turned out, said mother was a Queen too. The 'Queen of Hearts'. The Witch is as evil as her daughter, though, and the security of his memories is offered in exchange for getting her close enough to kill her daughter. He should have known what he was getting himself into, but he didn't. And the plans changed again. Regina will live, and Cora will Lord (Lady?) over her.

Regina has her mother's insanity, he thinks, sure as Baelfire has his father's eyes.

-

Nice as it would be for the little Savior and her mother to return, Rumplestiltskin is more concerned about Cora getting to Storybrooke and stopping his quest, and it's not like he needs the woman to break any more curses. He can live without the fulfillment of that favor, even if she would have been able to navigate New York better than he ever could. Besides, he has a plan on how to stop Cora and her pet Pirate from coming to Storybrooke, and he wants to see if it works, if only to prove that it can. His plan also includes stealing from the fairies, which is always a plus.

-

Emma. Emma. Emma Emma. EmmaEmmaEmmaEmmaEmma. EmmaEmmaEmmaEmmaEmmaEmmaEmmaEmmaEmmaEmmaEmmaEmmaEmmaEmmaEmmaEmmaEmmaEmmaEmmaEmmaEmmaEmmaEmmaEmmaEmmaEmmaEmmaEmmaEmmaEmmaEmmaEmmaEmmaEmmaEmmaEmmaEmmaEmmaEmmaEmmaEmmaEmmaEmmaEmmaEmma. Emma.

Seeing it written so many times made it seem like it wasn't a word anymore. She'd always thought Mr Gold was a little crazy, and this proved her point without any doubts in her mind. They'd circled back to the ruined castle (which _didn't_ have a name, an important detail according to Mulan, who directed a raised eyebrow at a shrugging Aurora) and stopped off a mile or so away to begin the journey to Rumplestiltskin’s underground cell. The place was depressing and dingy and dark, and she could see why he didn't like it. Snow had been hesitant to enter, but was stood beside Emma ( _so_ not a word anymore) as she stared at the crumpled parchment. Mulan was inspecting the walls, as though looking for more concealed jars of Squid Ink, and Aurora was absentmindedly tapping two fingers on her chest above her heart in an irritating pattern. Belle was staring at the walls and measuring the size of the cell in paces and glancing at the uneven ceiling with worried glances. She almost made it look like she actually cared about the man who had been imprisoned here. But Emma was still staring at the creepy parchment, and paid the lot of them no mind.

-

Stealing from nuns. Something Mr Gold had secretly wanted to do for a long, _long_ time. He hadn't known why, but Rumplestiltskin did, and he was happy to oblige. Using a stolen wand (because nobody missed its owner), he took all of the diamonds so far grown, and raised his eyebrows in amusement at a shocked Regina.


	36. Chapter 36

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 36. A lot of the chapters have jumped between character's P.O.V often, but towards the end they'll be mostly Belle again. Please let me know if it's not obvious whose P.O.V it is ^-^

A parchment had been found with Emma's name on it written Gods only knew how many times, but Belle was focused only on the cell and how... _small_ it was. If she was a little taller, and she jumped with outstretched arms, she could probably almost touch the ceiling. To avoid looking like a fool, she didn't test that theory. But this lonely place was smaller even than the dungeon Rumple gave her as her 'room' in the Dark Castle. She was focused on the walls when the parchment was found, and when the ink was found, and was focused now on the door (a set of crude bars as jagged as teeth) that was triggered by a treacherous Aurora with the aid of a rock. But Cora had her heart and it is, Belle knows, the cruelest of fates. The Princess was under the Witch's control the entire time and didn't even know it. Killian had stolen it, it seemed, and Belle could only look at him with disappointment. As he turned away after telling Emma she was 'dried up and useless', he met her disapproving gaze and shrugged, an un-amused smirk on his face.

-

He was reading to his Gramps from the book, the same story Grams read to him when he was in the coma. He's read the book so many times he's adding extra bits they've told him about, and skipping all the boring bits like the kissing. But then Red and the Dwarves run in to ask him about Regina, and he knows his Mom has lied to him again. At least his _real_ Mom would never lie to him.

-

Regina was worried as she stood over the well, worried that Henry would be angry that she lied, worried about the consequences of stealing Fairy Diamonds, worried that her mother _would_ find a way to Storybrooke. Worried that Rumplestiltskin, mere paces away, was just going to leap forwards and give her a nice little shove. She still remembered his threat from mere days before, after he had agreed to help with Cora.

 _"Don't doubt, dearie, that I will find a way to avenge her. You told her to break my curse knowing what I would do, you lied about her father killing her, and you tried to defeat me and you failed. And you will pay for that. When you least suspect it, when you think you're comfortable and safe, I will strike and I_ will _have my revenge. And you'll regret the day you ever crossed Rumplestiltskin. But until then, you can spend every day_ wondering _when I will finally send death after you._

He very gently placed a hand on her waist as she peered down the well, sending a shudder up her spine. She stepped away.

-

At some point Emma must have passed the parchment to her mother because now Snow White was stood up and speaking with words that did not make sense. Her excitement was building and her stance prepared as she held the crinkled paper to her lips. And she blew. The words seeped into the air as the blond Princess shot to her feet. The ink floated, gently, to the crooked bars of the cage and spread far, spreads wide, attacking the odd combination of stone and steel they consisted of until they are eaten away. A gap now stood in the middle and Belle raised her eyebrows in confusion at this blatant way out that her love held in his grasp, a way out he chose not to take. They all made as though to leave until Aurora called them to halt. With her heart in Cora's grasp, she did not want to take the risk of endangering them. With a saddened expression, Mulan bound her to the bars with rope cuffs, and Belle offered to remain behind to keep her company. With a nod the other women left, and the Beauty once more explored the cage of her Beast.

-

They ran (so not enjoying all this running by the way, bail bonds-persons do _not_ do this much running, at least not with heavy swords) to 'Lake Nostos' as fast as they could, a faint memory of reading about it in Henry's book lodged somewhere in Emma's mind. Mary Margaret ran before her, Mulan just behind, and with barely a sound MM strung her bow with practiced ease and _fired_. That would be a skill she would love to learn. Hit something out of someone’s hand from, say, 50 feet away. No more bear claws for David, oh no. But Sexy-Pirate-Man interrupted her race for the Compass, and excellent swordsmanship was clearly genetic. Crazy Magic skills too, she noted, as Cora fired a hulking fireball at an unprepared Mulan, who catapulted Aurora's Heart-in-a-Satchel into the middle of the lake, a disaster for all involved. And just before he smited her (smote? It's a swordy word either way, right?), Hook reached out with his hook and retrieved it, actually _handing it back_. Clearly over estimating his appeal to those of the opposite sex. Tossing off her sword (which deflected Magic, who knew?) to MM, Mulan left to return the heart to its rightful owner, just as Emma was pinned to the ground.

Delightful.

But Compasses make pretty good weapons, which Emma demonstrated _very_ well, in her opinion, when she whacked him over the head with it. A well-aimed punch and yes! Swan from the blue corner has delivered the final blow! Woohoo! ... Damn, Cora. Fight not over after all. Magic clouds make for a difficult victory, and Emma gritted her teeth as, thrown to the floor, she watched Cora move to take her mother's heart. But with a shove in a side by a shoulder, the hand entered Emma's chest instead.

_It is oddly cold. You would think that, with a hand inside your chest, that there would be burning, searing pain. But there's not. It's oddly numb. Numb, and empty and blank. Emma blinks and stares at this distorted woman before her as she says that love, love is weakness. And here now is the burning. The woman, her name lost in a swirl of memories shoved to the back of Emma's mind, begins to tug. Is it always like this when a heart is removed? The numbness has returned again, and now it has spread to her toes. But the burning, it is in her fingertips, and is straightening her spine. So Emma raises her head in defiance, because surely this doesn't take as long as it is?, and says 'no; it's strength.' No expectations from that, merely dramatic last words to stick in the mind. But then the burning engulfs her, even her poor toes, and the woman, Cora is her name, is thrown back._

-

Her daughter, her brave beautiful daughter, stood toe to toe with an evil tyrant (who had her hand around her heart) and _won_. Almost sacrificed herself to save her mother. But still won. Because of True Love, the force that would always keep them together, and would always help them find each other again. And now they were free, with Cora and Hook both unconscious and out of it, to return home to their family. So they jumped in the lake, and Snow White and her daughter were going home at last.


	37. Chapter 37

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 37. Belle and Aurora have a nice chat :)  
> I don't own anything!

Her son had looked at her with an expression she could now, sickeningly, liken to Snow White and her blasted daughter. But it wasn't just theirs, it was his too, and she couldn't refuse his puppy dog eyes. So with a shaky smile she had stood and defied Rumplestiltskin once more. She had put her hands over the well and absorbed the magic, that raw, unadulterated power, thus allowing safe passage to whoever came through. She fell back against a tree and offered up another shaky smile, with an even more broken apology. But then a hand shot out of the well, and Swan's wrist followed by her red leather sleeve forced its way back into Storybrooke. She tumbled onto the forest floor and turned to pull her mother out, just as Rumplestiltskin walked away past the Werewolf, and her son leaped forward to embrace his mother. Henry said Regina saved them and Swan said her mother 'is a piece of work', and she could only smile once more. But when the Sheriff - Emma - offered up a hesitant smile of her own, Regina thought that maybe it would be okay if she played on the side of good for a while.

-

After the others had left, Aurora had sat for a while, shifting uncomfortably every few minutes, not saying anything. Then she looked up to see that the Beauty, Belle, was running her fingers along the walls of the dark cell and murmuring to herself. So the Princess had watched her for a while as she explored every nook, cranny and crack the bare stone walls had to offer. But after a while she had grown impatient with all the constant pacing, and called the Beauty over to her. And so Belle had sat opposite her, waiting for Aurora to say something. But the Princess hadn't thought it through, and she asked the first thing that came to mind. "How did you get your scars?"

She hadn't expected a nice story, but she had hoped it wouldn't be something so cruel. Poor Belle had been heading back to her True Love (and Aurora was ignoring for the moment the fact that said True Love was actually Rumplestiltskin, the Dark One) when Her Grace the Queen Regina had found her. She had been seized by the Queen's men and thrown into a cage barely bigger than a person in height, and about the right size for a child to lie across in both length and width. She had called for Mulan and Phillip, hoping against hope that they were nearby (the story of the Yaoguai had already been told). Unfortunately for Belle they had not been nearby, and for some two days she was forced to endure being hit with the swords and the torches of the guards. But thankfully, finally, Mulan and Phillip had found her. It had been difficult for the cage to move quickly over the uneven floor of the forest, and the tracks it left were deep indentations in the soil. That and the heavy boot prints, and Belle's abandoned book, caused both Phillip and Mulan an enormous amount of alarm. They had gone back to the edge of the forest when Mulan said she had a bad feeling, which Phillip hadn't questioned, and they immediately realized something was amiss. So they followed the tracks until they came upon a small procession lead by a regal woman on her horse, a bearded man beside her and a great white wolf. They were certain the man had spotted them, but after a moment of staring he had tilted his head in the direction of a cage a couple of his Lady's men were baring. Upon seeing the unconscious form within it, Mulan had leaped forwards in anger.

After that things had become hazy for Belle, but she remembered the slow, lumbering journey to the Healer's village, which became their safe haven nigh on a year later when the curse struck. Phillip, Mulan and the Healer's limited magic had saved Belle's life, but they had not been able to heal the scars. Belle said she didn't mind, but Aurora was saddened by the sight of them when the other woman removed her boots and lifted up her skirts to the knee. Burns wrapped around her ankles, and lashes decorated her shins. Aurora had asked if Belle hated the Queen (Regina, they had later learnt) the way that Aurora hated Maleficent, but oddly enough Belle said no. Regina had her reasons for hating her, and her reasons for anger, but Belle found it hard to hate her back. There were strong feelings of resentment, certainly, but Belle felt that if she were to meet the 'Evil Queen' then she would not have the urge to stab her through the heart. At least, not immediately.

There were a few moments of silence after that revelation, and Aurora reflected on whether or not she would wish harm upon Maleficent; in the end, she didn't think she would. After the silence became too much Aurora asked another question. "How did you meet Rumplestiltskin?"

Another story later, a very brief description of the deal she made, and Aurora let out a loud gasp. "You're _that_ Belle!?"

-

Belle had sat with the Princess for what felt like hours, explaining how she had met Mulan and Phillip, and in turn how she had received her scars. When Aurora asked how it was she knew Rumple, she didn't even hesitate to answer. She realized her mistake at the other woman's shocked gasp, but thankfully Mulan returned bare moments later. Belle moved to Aurora's side to make room for the Warrior, and from this new angle could see what the darker woman held in her grasp. Gently cradled in her hands was a beating, throbbing heart. Nervously meeting the gaze of the brunette's she put her hands in place above the Princess' chest, just as said Princess asked "Have you ever done this before?" Mulan answered the negative, and then with all the care in the world pushed her hands through Aurora's rib cage, as though her body was no barrier. She released the heart back in its rightful place, removing her hands, and along with Belle held her breath (fingers fluttering) as the Princess lost consciousness.

With a sudden gasp Aurora was awake again, and Belle and Mulan looked to each other with matching grins. After a moment though their grins faded and Mulan asked "Now what?" Belle was subdued with no response, but Aurora immediately piped up with very welcome news. When Phillip was killed by the Wraith he was not killed at all, but rather separated from his soul, which was transported to another realm. "So we shall save him, then?" Belle queried, and the others nodded an affirmative. "So... How?"


	38. Chapter 38

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 38, this one's really short, sorry! I'll update again tomorrow to make up for it, if I can. So busy today!

Some time later, after Aurora had been released from her rope bonds, they still sat in the dark cell, pondering the issue. Unable to come up with any better ideas, Belle voiced her suggestion. "We could go to Rumplestiltskin for help. Make a deal with him." Mulan and Aurora gazed at her with matching expressions of distrust, but both knew they had no other options. "What can we give him, though?" Mulan asked. "We have nothing of value." "We have the Wraith's Medallion. Perhaps he shall have a use for it?" Aurora suggested. "Surely it wouldn't hurt to try." The three women looked at each other and knew there was no other way. They had to go to Storybrooke.

-

Going through a swirling portal with a regenerated bean on a pirate's ship was not an experience Cora would _ever_ want to repeat. It was more uncomfortable and lopsided than falling through that Looking Glass into Wonderland. But here they were; the Land Without Magic at last. Although, if Cora was not mistaken it wasn't 'without magic' at all. But of course the cowardly crocodile would want it back, and she would do better with it. Might cause the Pirate some problems, but at least that meant _she_ wouldn't have to deal with him. She smiled as she looked upon the stone-hewn town. All these new victims would be fun to play with.

The only thing that ruined her mood was the disgusting wave of magic that swept out of another curse-breaking kiss.


	39. Chapter 39

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one's long, so hopefully makes up for the last one, and the fact I couldn't update sooner :)

The first thing the three of them had agreed to do was find some magic. They thought it unlikely that there would be any magic users still remaining (with the exception of Cora), so it was clear they had to find a kind that they could wield. Aurora had suggested Fairy Magic, and the others agreed that that would be a good first thing to try. Belle had a general idea of where the Diamond Mines might be, since they would have to be near the tavern where she met Dreamy, so she was currently leading the way. Since she had an unfortunate habit of tripping over things when not paying attention, she had banned herself from watching her skirts swish, but that wasn't really working out. Khan, Samson and Bucephalas had been left at the haven, so progress was slow as they walked down the abandoned roads. Every few minutes Belle would hear Aurora get caught on some branch or another, and Mulan would sigh and call for her to hurry up. Belle's treasured cloak had long since been loaned to the Princess since the Beauty was much more accustomed to the current climate (what with the chilly winters in the Marshlands, and the blistering heats in the deserts of the Drylands). The weather where they were was less than pleasant.

Thankfully they didn't have to walk too far, though. Only thirty or so miles, spread over two days because of the fresh burns on Aurora's legs. She had insisted the dreams were coming less frequently, but that didn't really seem to be the case. The tavern where Belle had stayed was now in sight, run down from neglect and abandoned since it had not been protected by the barrier (Mulan believed Cora had created that, and Belle was inclined to agree). The three went inside in search of supplies in the tavern and the surrounding buildings, and when they met outside after the agreed thirty minutes they had an additional two water skins, another sword (the only weapon Mulan could lift with one arm, with the exception of the bow that Belle had found), a bed roll for each of them (since only Mulan had set out prepared and her bedroll had been lost along the way), as well as a worn satchel containing a coil of rope and a small bag of coins. The mines were another three miles on from the tavern (thankfully signposted), and after the new supplies had been evenly distributed and the water skins filled from a stream that ran parallel to the road for a short while, they set off.

-

The mines, Aurora thought, were oddly disappointing. She had grown up around fairies, old friends from her mother's childhood, and had spent her life in fear of Maleficent, the darkest fairy there was. But the mines, where Dwarves would mine for the Dust Diamonds, were depressingly devoid of any actual magic. They had searched everywhere they could think of, thus wasting a day of effort, but came across not a single wand, diamond or pickaxe. Sorting through the rubble (parts of the mine had collapsed as the tavern had) was a time consuming process, and gave nothing of use. The three knew what their next destination would have to be, since there was only one person they could each think of that would have wands with actual magic in them.

Now they would have to go to the Dark Castle.

-

Another three days of walking gone and they were making their way through the Dark Forest, with trees that were actually trying to shove her _forwards_ this time, to the Dark Castle. Neither Aurora nor Mulan looked even remotely comfortable, since the first had her arms wrapped around herself and Belle's cloak, and the second was running her fingers over the hilt of her sword, but Belle was practically skipping onward (propelled only slightly by the trees) back to her home. Upon reaching the great gates she paused and looked up at the familiar sight before her, smiling, and turned to watch as the others trudged towards her. "Can't we stay out here?" Belle glared at Aurora. "What? I don't like the look of the place." Belle shook her head at the Princess and turned back to the gate. "We might not even be able to get in. Rumplestiltskin said you could only enter if you were welcome, or were an old apprentice." She ran her fingers over the distorted metal where there was neither keyhole nor handle in sight. She drew back as though burned, however, when the twisted metal began to morph. Within seconds an old-fashioned latch appeared, and Mulan and Belle looked at each other eyebrows raised.

"I suppose the castle's happy I'm back. Or, at least not unhappy."

With that Belle pushed the gates open and strode forwards, leaving a reluctant Aurora in her wake as Mulan trailed halfheartedly. Before she even reached the main doors they swung open of their own accord, and with a polite thank you to the thoughtful entryway Belle was inside. The building was intact, expected, she supposed for sorcerer with such an attachment to his things and such a wealth of _power_. Belle immediately took the first door on the right, hearing as the main door slammed behind Aurora (who yelped in surprise), and entered the Great Hall. The room was upsettingly different, though. Only the long table and its matching chairs were still in the places she remembered. Rumple had put the drapes back up (nailed down, she had checked), and most of the treasures were gone from the glass cabinet. Dust had, unfortunately, collected on most of the furniture, but it looked as though that had happened _before_ the curse had happened, since the layer of it was very thin. Only one pedestal was completely clear of dust, and if Belle's memory served, it had held an impressive golden chalice before she had been thrown out.

Looking at the back of the cabinet to a neat little rack Belle found some of the few treasure Rumple hadn't bothered to take. Trust the Dark One to not want to touch any fairy dust. There were two wands in the rack, less ornate than the one that had originally sat on a pedestal, and Belle picked both up. Looking to the others they realized they had no way to check for magic, so looking around they tried to find something they could test it on. "How about this?" Aurora had picked up a rose "There has to be some magic on it, if it's still alive. Perhaps you could undo it?" Belle shrugged and motioned for Aurora to place the rose on the table, which she did. She then waved the first wand over it, with no results. The second wand had a much greater reaction. A plume of purple immediately shrouded the rose, and Belle dropped the wand in surprise. She bent to pick it up, and when she stood straight again there was a man stood on the table with a sword in his grasp. But this wasn't any man. Oh, no.

This was Gaston.

-

The last thing he remembered was courageously knocking on the Beast's door, only to be attacked by some dark form of magic. He had blinked and been surrounded by darkness, and then he had moved and was stood on a great table. He leaped down with all the elegance of a trained soldier, and found himself eye to eye with his beautiful fiancee. What luck! "My Belle!" he had said "It is I, Gaston, and I am here to save you from the foul beast that has stolen you away!" But the woman had rolled her eyes, actually rolled her eyes, at _him_ , and said "Rumplestiltskin isn't here anymore Gaston." He had said this was good, and she had frowned at him for that. Then she left the room, and him in the company of two other women, who had tried to explain he was a rose not a moment ago. Stupid women. Didn't they know he had always been a man? A very, very fine specimen of a man? His fiancee had returned a short time later with a couple of heavy hooded cloaks (a black one she passed to her dark friend, a blue-ish one she passed to her purple-clad friend, and an earthy brown one she passed to him). The cloak the purple girl had been wearing was passed over to Belle. They then explained they had somewhere to go, and suggested he go back to Avonlea. With no people about it would need protecting. He considered staying to protect his fiancee, but the people she was with could surely protect her. He didn't want to incur the wrath of the beast again. Yes, they would be fine without him, and would protect Belle.

Besides, if the strange dreams he had had whilst in the dark place were anything to go by, she had someone she would rather be with.

-

With the solitary wand they had found in the Dark Castle (they didn't bother looking in any other rooms, since that would take too long - Belle had only gone to her room (not the dungeon one) for the cloaks, and had been surprised to find it as she left it) they left, sending Gaston very pointedly in the opposite direction, and had set off in the suggested direction of Sherwood Forest. With any luck the wand they had would be able to lead them to the wand Robin Hood had stolen, and then they would hopefully have enough magic to go home. Unsurprisingly, though, the silence they had had when they set off lasted only until they set up camp for the night (as far away from the Dark Castle as they could get in a day), and then Aurora asked about Gaston. Belle had given the _very_ informative answer of 'it was an arranged marriage', and before Aurora could say anything, Mulan shushed her. The rest of the night was spent discussing trivial things, and any further Gaston-related questions were ignored (save for the one where Mulan wondered how Belle's fiance (ex-fiance?) ended up in the Dark One's lair as a rose, and thinking back on it Belle managed to ruin a cherished memory). They eventually stopped conversation in favor of sleep and lay, as they had been, in their separate bedrolls with Aurora in the middle, where both Belle and Mulan could reach to wake her up.

-

They reached Sherwood Forest late evening the next day, and the morning after that they began to search for any signs of life, or magic. The problem was that Belle didn't actually know where Robin Hood’s camp was, so they spent far too long trying to bribe the wand into giving them directions. They searched high and low through thick thickets of trees, crossing countless rivers and just wandering around lost. They came across several abandoned camps, some looking quite recent, but they never saw the wand. In the end they didn't find the wand, the wand found them.

Or rather, Robin did.

The three had found a small camp (which was really just a small campfire and trodden ground, but it was enough to count), and since the ashes were still warm they sat to debate their next move. They hadn't really considered the possibility of people here, and the recent fire proved what each had been trying to deny. Someone else was here, and they might be dangerous. They had a sword for each of them, collected along the way, but Aurora didn't know how to use one, and Mulan had given her enchanted sword to Snow White. There were quite a few daggers, but only Mulan had any skill with throwing weapons. There was the bow, too, that Belle could use, but they only had a few roughly hewn arrows she had whittled as they walked, and few of them had fletching. They could defend themselves, but not against a large group of trained soldiers, and not if whoever they were got Aurora. It was raining at that point, as it had been when Belle started the journey to Sherwood Forest the first time, so each had lifted their hoods over their heads. That was why, when he heard voices a short distance behind, Robin turned back to the cloaked figures with a bow in his grasp.


	40. Chapter 40

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 40 :) Rusty is the name of the horse used in the film 'Robin Hood', his real name, not what 'Robin' called him. Samson and Khan are the names of Phillip and Mulan's horses in the Disney movies, and Bucephalas is named after Alexander the Great's horse. In case you were wondering :) Enjoy ^-^

Mulan looked up from their discussion when she heard a twig snap somewhere around her, and tried to focus on where the sound of rustling leaves was coming from. She spotted a shape moving in the weak afternoon light and stood, sword drawn, as a figure moved out from the shadows. He had an arrow pointed at her heart as she moved forward to shield Aurora, and motioned for her to lower her weapon. Begrudgingly, she dropped it. Releasing the string from the bow he lowered his hood, and asked how they came to be in the forest. Before either she or Aurora could respond, Belle had stepped out from behind Mulan and lowered her hood. Upon seeing her the stranger had stared, and smiled.

-

An hour or two later, after names and stories were shared (what had happened after Robin escaped the Dark Castle, and what he needed the wand for (since Belle had to pretend she didn't know)), Belle asked after the other people of Sherwood Forest. Unfortunately, Robin said, that was something he did not know. He had been in a far corner of the forest when it happened, with his men, Marion and their son (Richard). The Sheriff of Nottingham had driven them away in trying to capture them, and they were working on plans on how to get back. Robin had been on his way back after hunting, and his young son had just come into sight when a strange wall, formed only of light, collected in front of him. Mere moments later, as he tried and failed to push through, a dark cloud formed on the other side of the barrier, and when it cleared his son was gone. The next 28 years he spent tying to find a way out of the cage, staying in that same corner of Sherwood Forest, and when the wall fell he began searching the rest of the forest for his family, for anyone. He had been unable to find them.

This was when Belle explained that they were no longer in this world, but rather a Land Without Magic. She watched as Robin's face fell, but said there might be a way back, if he still had that wand. He had smiled at her then and pulled it out of his cloak, and Belle and Mulan shared excited glances. There was still some magic in it, thank the Gods, since Robin had been hesitant to use it, and they hoped two wands would be enough to open a portal.

"Why do you three want to go to this land anyway?" Robin's question took Belle by surprise, and she was hesitant about how to answer it. Aurora and Mulan had been initially angry for her love for Rumplestiltskin, and she'd known Mulan for thirty years - how would Robin react to her loving the man who tortured him? "We need a way to save Phillip, Aurora's love" Belle motioned to the Princess at her side, who nervously smiled, "and I hope that my Father will be there. I haven't seen him since I made my deal with the Dark One." Robin nodded at her with understanding, much to Belle's relief, and asked if they would take him with them. Mulan confirmed that they would and he thanked them profusely, and asked where they were headed next.

"To Snow White's castle, we think, to search for the remains of a burned wardrobe."

-

The journey to the ruined estate took a further four days, mainly because it was surrounded by water on three sides and they only had one horse (Rusty, belonging to Robin) between them. The horse carried all their supplies, which admittedly wasn't a lot, but the walk remained difficult and tiring, particularly for Aurora and Belle in their skirts, and Mulan in her heavy armor. They made it eventually, though, and without Snow to guide them they got lost in the winding corridors. After admiring the impressive architecture for several hours (completely deliberate; they were not lost), Aurora finally found Emma's would-be nursery, and the four of them hurried inside. From within Belle's cloak (and its many convenient pockets) she brought forth a water skin, emptied and dried for its new purpose. The Princess heaped the remaining ashes of the wardrobe into her hands, and as carefully as she could poured them into the container. Robin had asked about the wardrobe as they had walked, and since Belle and Mulan had been arguing with one another (again), Aurora had taken it upon herself to explain it as best she could. He still didn't understand, but then neither did Aurora.

And now with the wands and the ashes in hand, the four of them could head to Lake Nostos, in the hopes of creating another portal to Storybrooke.


	41. Chapter 41

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 41. Emma reads a story, Henry forms a plan, and Gold cashes in a favor!  
> To those who read both this and my other chapter-fic 'A Shift in Power', I've figured out a chapter plan for both of them, and they'll probably end about the same time. Huzzah :)

After the seriously awkward party at Granny's, and the seriously, _seriously_ awkward incident that happened just before it, Emma was sat on the couch in Mary Margaret's apartment, miserable. Maybe not so much miserable as depressed, or just really sad, but she felt like she could cry. On her lap was her kid's book, open on the story of _'Beauty and the Beast'_. Emma had just reached the part where Rumplestiltskin had thrown Belle out, and she'd told him that all he'd have was 'an empty heart, and a chipped cup'. There was even an illustration to go with that, the Beauty staring at the Beast defiantly with tears in her eyes. So Emma felt like crying, partly for the woman she'd just met, and hadn't believed, that still wanted to get back to the man she loved, and partly (weirdly) for the broken pawnbroker in town who believed his one True Love to be dead. Because even when she picked it up (to figure out if Belle was the Beauty after all - since, as MM pointed out, you can't decide someone is a Disney character just because they have the dress) she knew that Rumplestiltskin thought that the woman he loved was gone forever. But even when she first turned to the story she knew Belle told the truth. She didn't read any of the words, no names or mentions of the Dark One. All she did was look at that first picture, of the back of a young woman's head as she knelt by her Father's chair, trying to comfort him.

The man in the chair was unmistakably Moe French, the man Mr Gold had beaten on Valentine's Day, because 'he had her love, and he shut her out'.

So Emma was still sat on the couch an hour later, having finished the story, when MM came back with shopping bags (because Prince Charming was hopeless at buy groceries). She was just kind of staring at the last image (Mulan holding a bleeding Belle in her arms, 'Phillip' a pace or so behind holding a lit torch in his hand, illuminating Belle's scarred face, and a crude cage in the background) and reading the last words in the story. _'No matter what magic or evil she had to face to do it, no matter what the Evil Queen did to keep them apart, the Beauty would never stop fighting for her Beast.'_ When Mary Margaret sat beside her on the couch, Emma wordlessly flipped back to the start, and passed the book over to her mother.

-

When Snow came home from shopping, because her husband, her daughter _and_ her grandson were hopeless, she found Emma on the couch with Henry's book in her hands, looking like she was about ready to cry. When she sat down to comfort her Emma just passed the book over and motioned for her to read, and so she did. When she reached the end, she was nearly in tears herself. The story really was tragic, and she didn't know how Belle had managed to smile at them each day, especially after they accused her of lying about Rumplestiltskin. Snow gently closed the book and looked to her daughter, who had barely moved. "So what do we tell him?" She asked. But Emma shook her head. "We don't tell him anything. We promised Belle we wouldn't tell him she was still in the Enchanted Forest." " We could still show him the book though." Snow stood up, but Emma shook her head again and stood up with her. "If we do that he'll probably just kill Regina, and that would be no good at all. Besides, what's the good in telling him if she's still there?" Emma shrugged, but Snow wasn't giving up just yet. "But Emma, it could give him hope!"

"Give who hope?"

Snow turned with Emma to see her grandson at the top of the wooden staircase, and watched as he tumbled down in the way only a child can without getting hurt. "Why do you guys look so sad?" He looked at his book. "Did you read one of the sad ones?" He began guessing stories. "Was it 'The little Mermaid'? 'The Goose Girl'? 'Red Riding Hood'? 'Beauty and the Beast'?" Snow shook her head at the last one, and Emma glared at her. "It was, wasn't it? You read the Beauty's story. It's sad isn't it? I always knew the Beast was Rumplestiltskin, but I didn't know who that was here. Hey, but now I do know I can tell him she's still alive!" In barely five seconds, Henry had grabbed his coat and was halfway out the door before Emma could grab him and close the door again.

"You can't, Henry." Snow explained "We promised her we wouldn't tell him she was still alive. Just in case he did something rash." Henry's brow furrowed in confusion, and it was such an adorable blend of Charming and Emma's expressions. "Promised who? Promised Belle? Did you meet her? Where is she? By rash do you mean like killing my mom?" Snow looked to Emma. _She_ could answer all of that. Emma glared. "Okay. Henry, Belle is still in the Enchanted Forest, and there's no way back. And I don't think he'd try to kill Regina, but if he did we'd stop him, okay?" "You wouldn't be able to. He's too strong." (Emma 'face palmed', as she called it') "And there is a way back! I was talking to Aurora about it in the Netherworld and she said that her and her friends were looking for a way over. I told her to go check the magic wardrobe, 'cos there's no way the ashes are all used up." There was too much to focus on at once, and Snow and Emma stared at Henry in silence. After she understood the gist of it she said; "That was a very smart idea, Henry, but until they get here, if they do we shouldn't give Mr Gold any false hope. Do you understand?" 

Henry narrowed his eyes in a very Emma-esque way, and Snow couldn't help but smile. Then he nodded. "Yeah, I get it. But we'll need a code name!" "Wait, kid, a code name? We aren't doing anything!" "Yeah we are. We're telling Mr Gold that Belle is still alive, but without telling him, and then getting them back together. How about 'Operation Bluebell'? Or 'Operation Rosebud'? 'Operation Teacup'!" "Henry..." "Operation Teacup it is! It kind of gives the mission away, but hardly anyone knows that!"

And with that, her grandson snatched up his book, turned and ran back up the stairs to begin planning. Snow face palmed.

-

A few days after the 'Book incident', Emma looked up at a knock on the door. With a frown she put down the hot chocolate she was making, really hoping it wasn't Regina here to start another fight. When she opened the door, she rather wished that it was. She could only watch as an irate Mr Gold pushed his way in to the apartment. When David came out at the sounds of a disturbance and demanded to know why the Dark One was in his apartment (his 'wife-from-another-world' and her roommate/daughter's apartment, Emma wanted to point out), Gold very slowly turned on his heel to face Emma and said "You may recall, Miss Swan, that you owe me a favor. Well now I am here to collect. So pack your bags Sheriff. You're going to help me find my son." That was _not_ the answer 'Charming' had expected, so after a very impressive goldfish impression all he could say was "You have a son?" Gold rolled his eyes, and moved to take a seat at the kitchen table. "Yes. Now pack!" He prodded Emma with his cane "I've waited 300 years for this, I don't want to wait any longer." "You're just gonna sit there and wait for me to be ready? I could take hours!" "It's not like I have anywhere better to be. And you have _half_ an hour. Now go!" Emma dashed up the stairs to avoid the prod of the cane.

-

A good forty-five minutes later Emma descended the stairs with Henry in tow to find that Mr Gold hadn't moved an inch, and was looking very impatient. "Miss Swan. What is your boy doing here?" "He wanted to go on an adventure and I couldn't say no." She shrugged, and Gold rolled his eyes. "Well then I suppose I'd better buy another ticket" he grumbled. "Ticket? Where are we going?" "On a plane Miss Swan. To New York." She was going on a plane. With Rumplestiltskin. To find his son. Great. Emma sighed. As she ushered Henry out the door with his suitcase, she heard him utter a phrase that made her look at Mary Margaret in despair.

"Let Operation Teacup, begin!"


	42. Chapter 42

When they got to the shores of Lake Nostos they weren't sure what to expect, but they were glad not to find Emma and Snow lying murdered in the sand. They searched the area for clues, and Mulan was able to find her sword, abandoned on the ground, and Belle found Snow's quiver of arrows, with no blood. It all suggested Snow and Emma had made their way through the portal. Then Aurora found a scrap of cloth that Belle could identify, and things began to look worrisome again.

They hadn't really been sure how to proceed, but since Aurora had mentioned that most fairy magic worked through granting wishes, they decided to try that. So Mulan poured the water-skin of ashes into the lake (after accidentally emptying her own water-skin of water) and watched as it turned into a swirling, churning mess of green, and then Belle and Robin held out the two wands. The four of them closed their eyes tight and wished for the portal to take them to Storybrooke Maine.

_I wish to be able to fulfill my duty_  
 _I wish to find someone who can bring Philip back_  
 _I wish to find Rumplestiltskin again_  
 _I wish to get back to my wife and my son  
_ _I wish to go to Storybrooke, Maine_

And then the four of them took a breath and jumped into the lake.

-

Aurora didn't think that it worked. The space they were in, wherever it was, was very small and very dark. The walls felt rounded and were wet, and she could smell the odd tingling scent of magic (the good kind) somewhere nearby. She ran her fingers over the damp rock and came across a foot. Looking up she could see that it was Mulan's. The Warrior was balanced with her back against the wall and her feet in precariously small foot holes. Above her was Robin, very desperately trying to scramble out of the small space, up to the small circle of light that Aurora could see a small distance above him, just beyond the tunnel. Resting her forehead against the rock, Aurora could look down to see Belle struggling with the folds of the cloak and the weight of her sword, trying not to fall. Wherever they were, it was very deep.

-

Far too long later and the four of them had managed to gradually inch themselves towards the light that was above them. Robin Hood was the first to tumble out, and Mulan was thankful when he immediately turned to haul her out. They had been forced to leave his horse behind so she was weighed down not only by her armor, but also her sword, her bedroll, and a quarter of their remaining supplies. Not to mention the heavy cloak from the Dark One's lair. When she felt the Bowman grab her wrists she kicked hard, catching Aurora's hand with her foot, and launched herself out of the darkness. She immediately fell forwards onto the forest floor, and found herself next to a well. Ignoring that detail, and its sudden appearance, for now, she rose to help the others out too. When grabbing Aurora and placing her next to the well, it looked as though she had broken her hand with her heavy boot. Before she got the chance to apologise, Belle was pulled out of the well too.

-

"Mulan, stop apologising. Mulan! I'm fine! It barely hurts." Mulan just gave Aurora a disbelieving look, and she shrugged at her. There was no time for this. They needed to find the Dark One so they could save Philip. "Where are we?" Robin spoke for the first time since escaping the portal. "Do you think we made it to Storybrooke?" The four of them looked at each other in concern. Save for the addition of the well, this part of the forest looked the same as the last. With a brief exchange of words they decided that Mulan, as the most accustomed to a sword and a friend of Queen Snow and Emma, would try to find a way out of the forest and to the main village, and the other three would wait by the well for her return. Almost immediately after Mulan left, though, Belle stood up with a determined expression on her face. "Belle, Mulan said not to go anywhere." "She said to stay by the well. And we will. Just a little more in that direction." Belle pointed in the opposite direction to that that Mulan went, and motioned for them to follow. With no better plans, Robin and Aurora followed.

-

After they had walked down the ridge the well was on, and dodged through the trees until they found a strangely flat, stone road, Belle turned to Aurora in the hopes of healing the hand she was cradling to her chest. Unsure of what to do, she raised the wand they had retrieved from the Dark Castle and waved it over the Princess' hand. After a few moments of nothing, her fingers began to shift back into place, the color reverting and the bones moving beneath the skin. With an air of hesitation Aurora clenched her fist, and smiled at the lack of pain it brought on. Shaking the wand she held, though, seemed to have little effect now though, which was a shame since she had been discretely using it to patch up and clean everyone's clothing. It seemed as though her magic wand was out of magic. Belle sighed.

Robin called out then, though, for the two women to come and look at what he had found. Belle shrugged internally and turned, heading towards the man in their company. He was a hundred or so paces away, and staring at a vibrant line that stretched across the ground. It was orange in color, and when she bent to touch it it left no residue on her fingers. "What does it mean?" Aurora asked, but her question went unanswered. Perhaps it didn't mean anything. But there was only one way to be sure. So Belle lifted her foot, and stepped across. Fighting the wave of nausea that surged through her, she forced her way forwards to an odd plate of metal that stood on the side of the odd road. Its legs were made of metal too, and as she circled it she could see that the other side was a different color, a shade of green not unlike that of the forest. Written across the center of it in clear white script, the letters precise and all the same size, were the words 'Welcome to Storybrooke'. Belle smiled and called out "We made it!"

"What are you doing?


	43. Chapter 43

At the sound of the voice, the voice of a stranger, Belle stepped around the sign to see that a young woman had come up behind Aurora and Robin. Her eyes were sharp and her hair dark, reaching almost to her elbows. She wore an odd type of red shirt with black leather pants to rival Rumplestiltskin's. On her head she wore a black hat, and on her hands, one of which was resting on her hip, she had a large assortment of rings. On her wrists she had a collection of odd bracelets, and around her neck a long thin chain. At the silence she was met with, she repeated her question. Belle shook her head and blinked, walking back to the strange orange line. "We, uhh... we came from the Enchanted Forest? Through the well? We're looking for Snow White?" The stranger folded her arms over her chest, her confusion showing through. "You just got here? And you can cross the line? Who are you?" It was Aurora who spoke up this time, with all the haughtiness of an irritated royal. "We are Princess Aurora of the Palace of the Sun, Lady Belle of the Marshlands, and Robin Hood of Sherwood Forest. Now can you _please_ take us to Queen Snow?" The girl in red blinked and opened her mouth, then closed it without saying a word. She turned and gestured for them to follow her, but Belle could see the smile she was trying to hide.

As they walked along the odd road, Robin and Aurora conversing quietly about whether or not the stranger could be trusted, Belle decided to take the more direct approach. So she increased her pace until she caught up with the woman, and smiled reassuringly. "Thank you for doing this. For taking us to her, I mean." The woman nodded, and smiled. "I'm Ruby, and it's no problem." Belle offered her hand to shake and she did. "So how did you get here?" "We, ahh... we made a portal, using ashes from the wardrobe in Princess Emma's nursery. And kind of... started it? Using fairy wands." Ruby raised her eyebrows in surprise, and Belle noticed they were oddly symmetrical. "Where did you get wands from?" "We may or may not have stolen them from the Dark Castle" "The Dark... are you insane? Rumplestiltskin could kill you for that!" "Oh not to worry Lady Ruby, Lady Belle here isn't the slightest bit afraid of the Dark One. For some reason." Robin frowned, and Belle shrugged. "Why were you in the woods?" She asked, changing the topic. Now the other woman shrugged. "It calms me, y'know? Reminds me of our old world." "Is this new one really that different?" Ruby turned to Aurora eyebrows raised as they crossed over a bridge. She turned back to the other two, on her other side. "This is something I can not _wait_ to see."

-

This world was strange. People were willingly entering these strange metal beasts, and then somehow enticed them to move along strange, flat roads. They all wore clothes similar in style to those of their Graces Snow White and Emma, and several pointed as she ran past them. Running short of breath and not knowing where she was, Mulan stopped in the middle of the street, searching around her for a person to ask for directions. The person closest to her was a large man that had just exited one of the odd stone buildings. She rushed over to him as he deposited a barrel of roses and other flowers into one of the strange metal beasts (which were, Gods forbid, empty on the inside), and asked him where she might find Snow White. When the man blinked at her beneath his odd head-wear, taking in her armor and sword, and the helmet at her side, she repeated herself, using the Queen's other name. "Mary Margaret or Emma. Where are they?" The man snapped himself out of it and shook his head. He then proceeded to give her directions to 'the Sheriff's station', saying she would know she was there because there was a bright yellow bug (a type of metal beast) sleeping outside it. She thanked him for his help and crossed the street, as per his directions, noticing as she did so that an odd marking on the side of his beast read 'Game of Thorns'.

It took her a further five minutes to find the 'station' after that, and she only spotted it because of the yellow 'bug' that rested right by it (this building, unlike many of the others, did not have large signs on it proclaiming it to be 'Marina's Music shop' or some other such place). She pulled the door, and then pushed it, and entered the building. It was heated inside, somehow, and Mulan was confused because she had not seen, smelt nor heard any evidence of fire anywhere around. She decided it must all be heated from below, and continued onward. Unfortunately she could not see who she was looking for through all the glass walls, but before she could start kicking all the doors down (there were a lot) she heard a man's voice somewhere to her left. She followed the sound through a door, and found herself in an odd room with a wall made of glass. Through the glass she could see the Queen Snow White, as well as a blonde man, who had been speaking, and another dark haired woman. She waved and called out trying to get their attention, then left the room in frustration. Refraining from kicking the wall before her, she moved to the door that she hoped would go into the room she had just seen. It did. She entered to find that the second dark haired woman, that she had paid little attention to and thought was relaxed, was on the chair with her hands chained behind her back. She stared in confusion for a moment, then turned and bowed on one knee to the Queen.

Her Majesty stared at her for a moment in shock before she instructed her to rise. Then she asked how Mulan got to Storybrooke. "We came through a portal, Aurora, Belle and I, and a man named Robin. We made it by using the rest of the wardrobe ashes, fairy magic, wishing, and the water from Lake Nostos. But that is not what is important, your Grace. We believe Cora and Captain Hook to be in Storybrooke." The Queen stared at her for a moment and, if possible, her face paled. She glanced at the blonde man sat on the table, whose arm she was now tightly gripping, and the chained woman in the chair. "What makes you say that?" She asked, worry evident in her voice. "When we got to the lake Aurora found a corner of cloth, and Belle believes it to be sailcloth, from a large ship such as that belonging to a Pirate. And we found footprints on its shore from boots and heels that went to the edge and then disappeared." "But... we used the wardrobe ashes, and the ashes and Cora's magic alone wouldn't be enough to bring them here. How would she create a portal?" Mulan shrugged, and voiced the theory Belle had come up with. "Captain Hook had that dead bean. If he had thrown it in the lake, it would probably have lived again." "Did you come all the way here to tell us that?" The man asked, and Mulan shook her head. "We came looking for Rumplestiltskin, so we can make a deal to try and save Philip, since Cora said he may still be alive. We just thought we should warn you, especially since Cora can give herself the appearance of others." At that the man and the Queen looked at the third person as though they had just realised something, and then began to look at each other and Mulan with suspicion. The man was the first to speak. He looked at Snow White.

"We met when I tackled you off your horse after you stole my jewels and my mother's ring. Then you hit me over a head with a rock, gave me this scar and escaped. That was the first time I told you that I would always find you." He lowered his hand from his chin and looked at the woman Mulan now suspected was his wife.

"We got married twice, the first time on the shores of Lake Nostos in front of your mother. The wedding was officiated by Lancelot, we drank from a chalice and it is one of my happiest memories up until what happened next." Suspicions confirmed. Queen Snow and King David then turned to Mulan who shrugged and said "I didn't give you my sword so you could abandon it on the ground. Why would I tell you I thought Cora was here if I was Cora?" The two nodded, and turned to the woman in the chair.

The woman stood from her chair and turned to face Mulan, who tried to place where she had seen her face before. The woman nodded. "I thought it was you. We never met properly, but the first time we saw each other was on the outskirts of one of the eastern kingdoms. I had your friend Belle in a cage, was astride a horse, and attacked you with magic. You and Prince Philip leaped from the trees to save Belle's life. I didn't kill you then because I rather hoped Maleficent would finish you off. Sorry about that." Mulan was then able to find this woman (Regina)'s place in her memories, and had punched her in the face before she registered that those last words had been spoken with sincerity.


	44. Chapter 44

About an hour after finding the strangers in the woods (and almost giving herself a heart attack at the idea someone had crossed the town line) Red was finally back at Granny's diner. Finally, because it should only have taken the four of them about 20 minutes. It took longer because every few seconds, or so it seemed, one of the newcomers would stop and point at an ordinary, everyday object and ask what it was. The woman in the blue dress, Belle, she'd said, was the worst. She didn't just want to know what they were; she wanted to know how they worked. So first she'd had to explain cars and engines and hydraulic systems, which she wasn't sure were even used in cars, and now she was explaining how electricity worked, in very basic terms, and trying to stop Belle from shining the small torch she'd handed over in her eye.

The other girl, Aurora, was playing with a cigarette lighter, enjoying being able to summon and destroy flame, and Robin was fiddling with Granny's crossbow and admiring her taste in weaponry. Dear Gods, Red was bonding with Disney characters. At least none of them knew she was a wolf, and so couldn't judge her for it.

-

This little... 'mag-lite' was very odd. At the push of a button a small fire would ignite inside, but it couldn't burn her through all the 'plastic'. After Ruby had found them in the woods she had brought them to this strange tavern (past all of the odd little 'cars', which apparently were _not_ alive) with its large windows, and introduced them to her Grandmother. She was at that moment fetching them food from this world, some 'pan cakes' as she called them. Aurora had come over to show Belle a small flamethrower (that didn't throw) that she had been given, and Robin had somehow got his hands on a working crossbow. The owner of the diner, 'Granny', as she was called, was discussing something with a tall brunette dressed all in blue, and from the direction of their gazes the conversation topic seemed to be them.

As Belle placed the 'mag-lite' down after almost blinding Aurora (again), the odd bell that had sounded when they entered sounded again, and she looked up to see the woman in blue leaving. She nodded to the people who were coming in to take her place, one of which was Mulan. Who immediately walked over and took a defensive position in front of Belle. Trying to peer around the protective Warrior, Belle caught sight of Snow White the moment Aurora did, and watched the Princess embrace the Once-Queen and then curtsy. Maneuvering around Mulan, Belle curtsied to her too. Snow smiled at her, not noticing Robin at that moment, and introduced Belle to the man beside her, her husband David. Belle's attention was caught, though, on the dark haired woman just behind. It was the sneering woman from the road, the woman with the cruel entourage, the Evil Queen Regina.

Belle stumbled back and was gently lowered back into the 'booth' by Mulan.

-

After _finally_ being able to stop the blood that was _gushing_ from her nose, Regina and the two idiots had headed off to find that damn Warrior's three friends. The Wolf had texted Snow a while back, much to the surprise of the bothersome Mulan, a text that read 'What do you get when a scarred woman, a burned woman and a man with a bow walk into a diner? A werewolf with a really bad headache', and so now they were headed to that _delightful_ eating establishment where Regina was probably going to get punched again. Most of the townspeople had looked at her with horror as she walked among them, since even without Sidney (who she really ought to let out) news and gossip spread like the plague, and most of them thought she had butchered the Cricket. Which she hadn't. Not that that possibility had even crossed the minds of the two idiots before her. But oh well. Her savior had come in the form of a Chinese hero of Legend, which was better than a sarcastic blonde Sheriff. Anyway.

Her walking into the diner had the same effect not only on the Wolf and her Grandmother, but also on a woman who Regina had never really expected to see again. Belle had instantly paled, and the shallow scars that cris-crossed her cheeks, and the one that ran across her forehead and just missed her right eye, became a more prominent shade of pink. She had fallen backwards into the Warrior now stood behind her, and had had to sit down. But even the death-glare she was being given by... 'Mulan'... could not stop her from fulfilling her goal. She wanted to apologise to Belle before Rumplestiltskin got back (with the son he had _stolen_ ) to rip her head off.

So she stalked to the table, dislodged the purple Princess, and sat opposite the Beauty. She gave the Warrior a pointed glare until she moved a few paces away, and tried to ignore the voices of the two idiots whispering with the wolves. She took a deep breath and looked a confused Belle in the eye, and gave 'heartfelt apologising' her best shot. She apologised for spying through the surface of the reflective gold chalice, apologised for watching Belle leave the Dark Castle. Apologised for their... 'accidental' meeting on the road, and for planting the idea of True Love's Kiss. She apologised for what she did next, in trying to cage Belle, in letting her men harm her, and in leaving her there to potentially die after the damage had already been done. She had only partly meant it when she started, and completely meant it now, but apologies were never well received when she gave them. So she was surprised when, for the first time in as long as she could remember, someone said the words 'I forgive you'. It was more shocking since this was a person she had actually wronged (and whose life she had possibly ruined and nearly destroyed), was the True Love of Rumplestiltskin, and was actually forgiving her and not just saying the words.

Mistrust was still in Belle's eyes, but some of the light had been returned, as if she had proved something to herself. Or had just found some lost part of herself. Or had helped another person do just that. Regina stared at Belle a moment longer and before she could stop herself, she thanked her.

-

The Evil Queen, who seemed about as evil as the Dark One did dark, apologised, thanked and sheepishly wandered off, and then Robin wandered over to ask 'Did she just say you were the True Love of Rumplestiltskin?' Belle rolled her eyes and punched him in the arm.

-

"Not to interrupt whatever it is you're all talking about but can you help us or not?" She sat, eyebrows raised, on the edge of her seat. The 'Evil Queen' turned to look at her as though just seeing her now, and Queen Snow asked "Help with what?" Aurora frowned and huffed. "We came to speak with the Dark One, to see if he can save Philip. Is he here?" The short haired woman spared a sideways glance at her husband and said "Actually, no. He's... well, he left. To go find his son." His son!?! How did the Dark One have a son? And when would he be returning? "His son is still alive?" Everyone turned to look at Belle. "You knew he had a son?" "Well he mentioned him, but I was under the impression he had died." Belle shrugged "He's not here then? Do you know when he shall return?" Snow reached out to grasp David's hand. "No but... we're sure it will be soon." She gave a shaky smile, but even Aurora who had never had much skill at reading people could tell the woman was worried that that might not be the case.

-

As he watched the Savior begin to chase his son, and as he watched young Henry move to a bench to read his book and send more 'discrete' glances in his direction, Rumplestiltskin shifted his cane in his hand and grimaced. He had next to no magic here, and couldn't command it, but he had enough left to know that, for the second time since they left for New York, someone - or a group of someones - had entered Storybrooke. From the Enchanted Forest.

-

She ran. It was tiring, but she ran. And a part of her loved it. She'd missed this, chasing down no-good bad guys and bail jumpers. Leaping over things and shoving tourists and pedestrians. How long had it been since she'd done this? Too long, that's for sure. She watched as he stumbled and ran down an alley. Inside, she smiled. Gotcha.

She ran, she leaped, she grabbed, she fell. He fell with her. But as he pivoted forwards to stand, his hood fell back from his face. And she knew who he was. And he knew who she was. He smiled, and said her name. "Emma?"

Neal.


	45. Chapter 45

Snow sobbed into David's shoulder as she slowly walked away from the grave. The Dwarves comforted the Blue Fairy as Marco placed Jiminy's trademark black umbrella next to his gravestone. Regina stood apart, silently watching, an unwelcome member of the group but there all the same. People had been wary (what with her being suspected of his murder and everything), but after their King and Queen assured them Regina was not the culprit and they knew who was, they begrudgingly let it go. As David wrapped his arms around her shoulders to support her as her body sagged, Snow turned to see a single tear slowly fall from her Once-Stepmother's face. And she knew that the woman feared telling her child that Cora was in town as much as she herself did. Storybrooke wasn't safe anymore.

-

The woman, Belle was quite sure she was the werewolf Snow had mentioned back in the forest, was leading them up an odd staircase in the third building she'd entered in this world (the first had been the tav... diner, the second the inn, also owned by Granny, as they were shown to what would be their rooms). She seemed subdued, and Belle knew it was because she regretted not being able to attend her friend's funeral - Aurora had dropped the 'cigeret lighter' onto her dress, burning the skirts half off before Granny put it out with a red container of white foam. Ruby had had to help her find new clothes that fit (from various places she had pinched an ankle length purple skirt, a creamy sort of blouse, lilac slipper shoes, and odd undergarments that she had gone out to buy, and were a lot simpler than a confused Aurora was used to), and then tend to the new burns she had on her shins to add to her collection. The Princess was constantly apologetic, but the waitress had said she didn't mind. So now, with Aurora in her new clothes and the other three refusing to change theirs, they traipsed up the narrow staircase in the 'apartment building' until they reached 'Mary Margaret's place'.

Ruby knocked on the door and was immediately let in by Regina, who she blinked at in surprise. At the sarcastic smirk sent her way she scowled, and walked in just in time to interrupt an argument. "I'm just sayin' what if they do? D'you really think people are gonna be sympathetic of a bunch of Dwarves and (he gestured to Ruby) a werewolf!?" "Leroy we know but... there might not be a way back." David held his arms out towards the thickset man he was trying to calm. The man shook his head, and walked over to a counter in the corner, just as another man, about his height pointed at Mulan (who stuck out like an injured thumb with all her heavy armor on) and said "But they got here, so I'll bet they'll know how to get back!" Within five seconds of becoming the center of attention, Belle, Aurora, Mulan and Robin were crowded by people clamoring to know the fate of their homeland. Shifting away from the mob as people started to ask if the Forest was 'overrun with Ogres and Trolls and was that how she got her scars?', Belle watched Mulan also try to shiftily extract herself but fail, Robin try to answer the more sensible questions one at a time, and Aurora grow steadily more impatient until she finally raised a hand to silence everyone. She then diplomatically answered the most pressing questions, and glared daggers at anyone who interrupted.

The upbringing of a Princess was often convenient.

-

A quarter-hour later and Aurora was still fielding questions about the well being of the land (No the Ogres weren't everywhere. Yes most of the buildings were destroyed. How was she supposed to know who was in charge? No the Fairy-dust Diamonds hadn't run out), Mulan had struck up a conversation with King David about various sword-fighting techniques, and Robin was trying to get Regina to remember one address among thousands where his family might be found. Belle had moved herself to the edge of the kitchen to the 'fridge', where it was cold, and was sipping a glass of water.

"Hiding away then, huh?" Ruby sauntered over, and leaned on the opposite side of the counter to Belle, her weight supported by her elbows. "I don't like being the center of attention, or when people stare." Belle leaned over to put her glass on the counter, then shifted back against the 'fridge'. "Yeah, well. You kinda stick out anyway, y'know?" Belle bit her lip and nodded. "The scars?" Ruby scoffed "What? No. The dress. Nobody wears stuff like that here. And the cloak. The cloak definitely doesn't help." She shook her head, smiling, and gave a small wave when Snow called out her name. Belle sighed just in time for a gruff voice to say "'Scuse me, sister", and a hand to reach out and shake her chair. With a start she jumped up, and turned to see the thickset man from earlier reach in and remove a glass bottle that contained an odd goldish liquid, filled with bubbles, that looked suspiciously similar to ale. She blinked as he turned.

"Dreamy?" 

-

Red was still kinda pissed at him for the whole 'werewolf' comment, so he waited until Snow called her away before he budged her friend away from the fridge. He reached in and took out an ice cold beer (the best way to drink it) but before he could even open it, someone said his name. His old name from _before_. "Dreamy?" "Tavern girl! I mean, Belle." He gave a half grin, and she smiled back. As she did he watched a scar crease around her eye. "Hey, were you one of the four that came through the portal yesterday? (she nodded) And how've you been?" "Okay, I guess." She gestured with her arms as though to say 'what do you think?', and he figured she was still kinda sour 'bout her scars. "How did it go with your love, by the way? Nova?" He frowned and felt his smile drop away. "Didn't work out" he grumbled as he took a gulp of his drink. "The names Grumpy now, by the way. Grumpy or Leroy, whichever." She opened her mouth to say more, but he heard his brothers call his name, and she closed it again. "Well. See you around sister." He nodded, and walked around her to join the other Dwarves as they left. As he turned back just before the apartment door shut, he could see Belle had a kinda lost expression on her face.


	46. Chapter 46

A few hours after Jiminy's funeral, Snow was having a very distressing conversation with her daughter. "So let me get this straight. Baelfire, Rumplestiltskin's son, was in New York, and you've found him. (A noise of confirmation). But Baelfire is also Neal. Henry's father? (Another grunt, this one more distressed) Rumplestiltskin is Henry's _grandfather_!?!" _"I know! And he said he had no idea, but I don't know if I can trust that. I mean, he abandoned me, y'know. I got arrested because of him, for a crime I didn't even commit. (Here there were several curse words Snow pretended weren't coming from her little girl) ... So. How're things in Storybrooke? Anything fun happen?"_ Snow closed her eyes and sat on the edge of the bed. "Emma I... We have some bad news." She looked to her husband who was staring at her shocked. He mouthed the word 'grandfather?', and she rolled her eyes. She figured it would be better if she just came out and said it. "Emma we think Cora's in Storybrooke." She bit her nails as the silence she was met with continued, and she had to fill it. "She came with Hook too, we think. And that's not even the worst part. (A breath) She killed Jiminy."

She heard a sharp intake of breath on the other end of the line. _"Doctor Hopper? But... Oh God, Henry's gonna be devastated, what will I tell him? He loved the guy."_ A silence, and a breath. _"How's Regina taking it? Her mother in Storybrooke I mean."_ Snow looked over to the woman in question, sat by the kitchen table (away from Charming) and gave a not-very-reassuring smile. During the gathering after the funeral, she had drifted around not talking to people, and trying to ignore Robin who went over to invade her corner. "She's doing as well as can be expected, I suppose... They're not the only people that came over though..." She said thoughtfully, trailing off. Before her daughter could say anything she said "Emma, somehow Aurora, Belle, Mulan and Robin Hood made their way to Storybrooke with Fairy Magic and the wardrobe ashes." _"Robin Hood? Wait, what do we tell Gold? About Belle? I mean, he'll want to know, right?"_ Snow sighed. This was far to complicated to think about. "She asked us not to tell him, so I suppose we don't. And you probably shouldn't mention that part to Henry either, or he'll put 'Operation Teacup' into overdrive. (She sighed) I know things are hectic there, sweetheart, but... just come home soon okay?" There was a brief sound of agreement on Emma's end before the line went dead. Snow snapped her phone shut and stood off the bed just in time for Regina to say "Henry's father!?" She groaned.

-

Emma hung up and stared at the phone in her hand. Somehow Cora, Captain Hook, Sleeping Beauty, the other Beauty, the Hero of China and _Robin Hood_ had made their way to Storybrooke, and Jiminy Cricket had been murdered. When did her life get so complicated? At the sound of Gold's raised voice she sighed and left Neal's bedroom (messy, as expected) to go back into the main area, where her kid was on the couch watching his father and (shudder) grandfather go all out at each other, the latter even gesturing with his cane. She groaned.

"Hey. HEY! Stop with the yelling already, I've got a headache." Gold rolled his eyes at her, but lowered his cane to the floor all the same. "Now we got a problem. And Kid, I know you're angry, and Neal, you got a lot of questions, but we're just gonna have to bypass all that for a while." "What, Miss Swan, could possibly be so urgent?" Emma narrowed her eyes at the creepy Pawnbroker, and straightened her spine a little. "Cora's found a way to Storybrooke. And she brought Hook with her. We need to get back before they kill someone. Else." She watched as Gold lost all color in his face, and Neal sat down with a _thump_ on his battered couch. "Who did they already kill?" Anger forgotten, Henry looked at her with concern. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, and made her way to kneel in front of him. She looked at Gold, then back at Henry.

"Kid they... She killed Doctor Hopper." His hands instantly shot out to grab hers, and when he spoke his voice was small, and broken. He already had tears in his eyes. "She killed Archie? Why?" "I don't know Kid, I don't know. But we've got to go back. And soon." She squeezed his hand before she rose to look Gold in the eye. "And by soon I mean now." He nodded, shocked, and Emma turned to Neal. "You gonna pack?" Gormless and adorable ( _not_ adorable) as always, he blinked, nodded, and rushed off. Emma kneeled back down in front of Henry to embrace him.

-

This town was confusing, and after a lot of wandering around to try and find her way back to Granny's diner, Belle gave up and sat down on a bench overlooking the docks. The smell was unpleasant, but the view was worth it. The world seemed endless, and she smiled at the sea. At the cry of a gull she looked up to see a couple of birds fighting over a fish, and watched as the winner gave victory laps in the air, and the sulking loser flew over to roost. On thin air.

Frowning at the odd phenomenon of floating birds, Belle rose and, lifting her hood to conceal her face (you never know), she walked along the wooden structures towards them. Gazing up at the gulls for a moment, Belle looked around her, and her eyes latched onto a box containing sand. Confused about why it was there but ignoring that for now, she reached in for a handful, and began to generously sprinkle it on deck. Most of it bounced off, some falling through the odd crack, but then some of it stopped before it hit the dock, and as she moved her arm over the water, it stopped a little higher up, and then higher again. Releasing the rest of the sand and wiping her hand on her cloak, Belle raised her foot and gingerly placed it over the floating sand. The surface, whatever it was, was secure.

So focused was she on her feet she didn't notice where she was until she realised she could actually see what she was stood on. She looked up and let out a breath - she had found Killian's ship. She walked across the deck, once again thankful for her sturdy boots and the muffled sound they produced. She came across a set of stairs and, sparing a brief glance for her surroundings, headed down them. The hallways were narrow, but thankfully her short stature meant she didn't have to duck to avoid low hanging beams and the like around the ship. Belle wandered around, hoping to find Killian and hoping to not. Thankfully Cora didn't seem to be around at the moment, which was a relief. But then she heard muffled yelling, and she spun slowly on her heels. Hearing it again she followed the noise, and found herself in the room she had just left. Striding forwards, she reached the edge of the small cabin, and grasping the edge of a wooden seat, she pulled upwards.

She was met with the face of a very alarmed man.

He shied away from her and flinched from her gloved hands as she reached out to him. Confused, she drew back, and then lowered her hood. The man stared at her a moment, before holding up his wrists with a hopeful expression. Spinning around she searched for a dagger or sharp object and, finding a saber, she turned back to sever the ropes that bound the man's hands. Freed, he reached up to remove the cloth from his mouth and, breathlessly thanking her repeatedly, reached down (saber in hand) to cut the ties on his feet. She helped him to his feet and out of the hole and, trying to catch his distracted attention, asked his name. "Oh, oh. I'm, I'm Jiminy, uh, Archie." He gave a weak smile and extended his hand for her to shake. She did, and gave her own name in return. "Aren't you supposed to be dead?" She asked, and he timidly shook his head. "No, uh, why?" "Never mind, come on. We have to get out of here." She grabbed his hand and tugged him up the staircase.

-

A good while later (Belle wasn't sure _how_ much later, since she didn't have one of those 'watch' things), they made it to Snow's apartment building, which Archie had ended up directing _her_ to. She filled him in on what happened since he had 'died', and explained to him that Regina had _not_ been the one to kill him, something he seemed pleasantly surprised at. Shivering past the 'air con', Belle foolishly wished to be back on the ship, away from all of the confusing technology. She shook her head and ignored the notion, and grabbed Archie's wrist. She dashed with him up the stairs, and pounded on the door. Before it was opened she heard a dog bark, and involuntarily flinched back when she heard Regina's voice commanding 'Pongo' to stop. After it opened she was met with Regina's irritated face, which soon turned to confused, before shock and surprise flashed across her features as she took in the balding man behind Belle. With an awkward smile from the two _outside_ the apartment, they were invited in.


	47. Chapter 47

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A short one, sorry guys :)

"Hey Mary Margaret, we're on our way back now. We just got off the plane and there's a couple of hours drive left and... what!?!" The two in the backseat looked at Emma with surprised expressions, and Gold glared at her from the driver's seat. "Miss Swan" he began "what is it?" She glanced at him, and then at Henry. "Kid, it's Archie. He's... still alive." Shocked noises came from all others in the car (even Gold) and Emma raised a hand as she tried to hear her 'mother'. She said goodbye, and hung up. Omitting certain details (and names, 'cos she didn't want Gold to crash his fancy Cadillac into a tree. Or into a Goddamn _person_ ), Emma explained what had happened. "It seems like B... someone... figured out where Hook was keeping his ship, which was invisible by the way, and went snooping. They found Archie in the hold and... well, freed him I suppose. Regina's gonna take another look at the body, figure out if Cora used some of her shifty voodoo magic on whoever it is." "Voodoo magic, Miss Swan?" "She controlled the dead like puppets, you can shut up." She glared at the driver and turned back to her son just in time for him to say "Does this mean everyone's gonna be safe now?" with a hopeful expression. She sighed, knowing they still had to find and (with any luck) stop Cora, and she told him as much. He sighed too, and decided that they were 'going to think about something nice'.

Henry was silent for a moment, and Emma turned back to face forwards, shrugging at Gold. Glancing in the rear-view mirror she noticed Henry had a mischievous glint in his eyes, that his father too had noticed, and before she could so much as open her mouth he innocently asked "Do you still miss Belle, Mr Gold?" Emma thanked any and every God that there might be that the street was empty, because otherwise Gold's car would have a sizable person-shaped dent in its bumper. Emma herself choked on her own breath as she watched Gold try to regain control of his car, and when all was calm again she heard Neal ask who Belle was. She innocently looked out the window as she felt a hot glare in the side of her head and heard Gold say 'she was nobody'.

Emma closed her eyes against the guilt she felt about not telling Gold that Belle was still alive, and tried to ignore the fact that his voice was more broken than she'd ever heard it.

-

She re-materialised in the center of a large room, all white furniture and blank walls. She wandered around, running her fingers over things, opening cupboards and cabinets and not finding what she was looking for.

And then she did. In pride of place in the center of a cabinet there was a small block of what appeared to be clay, and in the center of that there was a small hand-print, a name written in crude letters around it. Of course, how could she forget?

Little Henry. She placed the block down and picked up the portrait that was next to it. It showed Regina next to a smiling young boy who looked to be about 7. Her arm was around his shoulders, and neither seemed to have noticed the camera as she gazed at something out of the frame, and the boy stared at a large frozen-looking drink before him.

She shook her head at the foolishness of her daughter. She really should guard her secret more carefully. She had just found her weakness, and she was going to destroy it, kill it, tear it to shreds.

Cora smiled an evil smile and disappeared, portrait in hand.


	48. Chapter 48

If her daughter's house was one extreme, this was the other. Where Regina's house had been large and empty, fancy portraits in black and white along the walls to try and fill the space, this one was (marginally) smaller and cluttered, familiar objects dotting random surfaces and not a single portrait in sight. Regina's mansion had been bland and serious and white, and this one had random splashes of color everywhere, albeit dark ones, and (if she wasn't mistaken) the outside walls were an awkward shade of pink. Both homes were devoid of life, though.

Or at least they were until she reached what looked like a library. Where the other walls had been sickly shades of green or grey, this room had walls of pale cornflower blue. The windows were arched and looked not to the street but to a small (dead) garden and the woods beyond. Bookshelves reached from floor to ceiling, and were packed full of hundreds of dusty tomes. On one shelf there was the same book three times, one the traditional story, one an illustrated version, and one called 'La Belle et la Bête' that she assumed was the story in its original language of 'French'. On the small table in the center of the room was a vase that contained a small bouquet of dead roses. Next to the vase was a small white teacup.

Cora, after taking all this in, scanned the room with her magic and found what she was looking for concealed within the mantelpiece. A final cursory glance around the room and she vanished, to wait for the boy Henry to appear.

-

After a lot of pestering, and with a monumental amount of help from Snow and David, Red had finally been able to convince Belle and Aurora to go to the hospital to have their scars and burns checked by a doctor. Mulan and Robin had been left behind at the diner, still in their clothes from the other world. At that moment Red was in the waiting room with her two closest friends, waiting for news from Doctor Whale. The two women _seemed_ alright, but old wounds could be tricky, and all agreed precautions were necessary. All except Belle, who had managed to give Red a black eye before Mulan had calmed her down. Snow was still giggling about it. "It's not funny Snow, she took me by surprise. And herself by surprise too, I think. Stop laughing." She didn't. "You know I'll get you back at Wolfstime. I'll shed fur all over your furniture. Then you'll be sorry."

Before Snow could think of a snappy comeback, Whale's voice could be heard coming around the corner. "...n't seem to be infected, so everything should be alright. I'd recommend coming in for checkups if any of the scars or burns become discolored or start to heat up, but other than that I expect the two of you will be fine." With a nod of his head Whale dismissed them and headed back to his office. Before he shut the door Red saw him pull out a small silver flask and, greeting Belle and Aurora as they rejoined the group, excused herself to talk to him. 

-

Aurora left the 'hospital' (which was a place of healing) soon after Doctor Whale excused them, to find Mulan and Robin who were looking for Robin's wife and child. Belle was asked, by Snow and 'Charming' (a ridiculous nickname in her opinion) to direct them to the Jolly Roger, and they were joined by Dreamy... Leroy along the way. The docks were quite a distance from the hospital, but Belle was long accustomed to walking by now, and was able to ask Snow about other things that had changed with the people of (what they called) 'Fairytale Land' since they had arrived in Storybrooke. Apparently the other pregnant princess (Cinderella) had had her child, Gepetto's son Pinocchio had gone missing, and the Fairies had found fairy-dust in the local mines (apparently Rumplestiltskin had stolen said dust, but Belle had decided to ignore that tiny detail).

At the docks, where Leroy complained constantly about the smell, Belle had led the other three to where the ship had been earlier. Grabbing a handful of sand (because it would be unfortunate and embarrassing if the boat was gone when she tried to stand on it), Belle made for the waters edge, and began sprinkling the sand over the wood. She managed to find the steps again, and with a glance backwards she stepped onto the deck.

There things looked the same, but this time she saw something she hadn't before. A large, shapeless object covered by a tan sheet of animal hide. 'Charming' had seen it too, and with a shrug he cast the sheet off. Beneath the sheet was a small cruel cage, within which there was a bearded man in an odd red fabric that was strung with odd little metal plates. With an alarmed expression Snow broke the lock with a small sword that she had somehow concealed on her person, and gently prodded the sleeping man awake. Hazel eyes met brown as the man blinked blearily at her, and Snow stepped back to allow him out of his prison. They asked how he came to be there, and he said that 'the Witch made him small'. They asked if he knew where Cora and Hook had gone, and he gave alarming answers for both. They asked who he was and he said Anton. After some small assurances from his rescuers, and hands made free from their bonds, the man was made calm. Until he laid eyes on Charming.

At which point he promptly punched him in the face.


	49. Chapter 49

With magic the evil Witch had made him small, and locked him away on the ship of the man with a hook. Then they had fallen through something, a portal he thought. The ship had groaned about him, the lashings on his cage not quite secure enough to stop its shifting in the darkness. When they had come back into the light, the beige covering was gone, and he could see a world of wet grey. Through the bars he watched as the Witch and the Pirate stepped off the ship and argued, then a dim wave of light covered the ship. At some point a man was shrunk in a dark purple cloud, and the magic was followed by a splash. When the pirate came back the covering was put back on, and Anton was in darkness again.

Not long after, a few days at the most, a third voice joined the conversations the two villains had on the ship. The voice was not around for long, but it sounded timid and small and afraid to Anton's ears. At some point he may have heard the voice scream. A day or so after that he heard footsteps, and slowed his breath in fear. Quiet boots fell on the deck, a noise not dissimilar to the Pirate's gait. They vanished without bothering him though, and Anton was glad. But then they came back again mere minutes later, accompanied by two voices. The first was the timid man, not dead after all. "B.. uh, Belle. Thank you for, ah, freeing me but... where are we going?" "We're going to find Snow White and David, and make sure you're looked after. They'll be glad to know you're alive." The second voice belonged to the booted feet, and was that of a woman. This 'Belle' had a soft voice with a lilting accent, but Anton was unable to ask her to free him too.

He was glad she left when she did, though. The Pirate returned, soon, and came to yell at Anton when he discovered his lost prisoner. Then the Witch arrived, and she was furious. Darkness swept over the Once-Giant once more, but he knew he still lived because the yelling continued, now at the Pirate from the beanstalk. The prisoner was gone, how could he be so foolish? She would never win her daughter back now. Now she would have to destroy her, starting with what she loved the most. This cruel declaration was followed by an odd choking sound, and the words 'you're dried up and useless now too, Hook. Like that old bean.' Anton lifted the corner of his covering with his bound hands just in time to see the Witch let the dead Pirate fall lifeless into the water. She turned in time to see the corner fall. The cage was kicked, and a forced sleep came again.

When he awoke the light was blinding and the covering gone, and a small woman with dark hair stood before him. It took a few blinks to realise this was not the Witch who caged him. The woman released him and asked his name and what happened. He told all, including the words of the Witch (Cora, they whispered) and the fate of the Pirate. A second woman with striking scars and eyes like the sky seemed saddened by the news, but she smiled at him anyway. Next to her was a short man with a dark beard, who had a lopsided grin. A fourth person he hadn't yet seen clapped Anton on the shoulder, and told him they would help. The voice, one he recognised, made him turn faster with anger. At the familiarly cruel face, Anton raged, and slammed the man to the floor, over a railing of the ship. The first woman yelled and the second flinched, and the solidly built man leaped to restrain him. Shoving him down and avoiding the women (because even after Lady Jack he was hesitant to strike a woman) he made for the shore. Glancing back when on solid land, he was surprised to see the blue-eyed girl leap out of the air where the ship (the Jolly Roger, he'd heard being said) had been, and onto the dock. She had abandoned her odd cloak on the ship, and now ran towards him with her blue skirts swishing around her legs.

The Once-Giant had never been fast, and so the Beauty caught up with him in no time, barely past an odd building called 'Storybrooke Cannery'. Instead of being attacked, like he expected, the woman held up her hands in a calming gesture, and introduced herself. She was Belle, the savior of the quiet man. He told her as such and she nodded, the man's name had been Jiminy, and he was safe now. Certain now of her kindness he asked where they were, and was told it was a cursed land they had been brought to by the Witch's daughter. He frowned, but before he could speak she interrupted him. Asked why he attacked David. He didn't know David, but that man on the ship (Prince James, he told her) had slaughtered his family. Her mouth twisted in confusion, and she said that didn't seem like something 'Charming' would do. He wanted to argue, but before he could say anything the man himself appeared, and before he could strike him the dark haired woman appeared too.

They explained as best they could, when Anton told them what happened to his family, that 'David' had once had a brother. A cruel brother whose name was James and whose nature was greedy. He was not inclined to believe, especially when Dreamy (or Leroy, the women gave him different names) made a confused noise of disbelief that sparked a subdued shouting match about true names. Then he asked to talk to Emma because he knew that she was different, but conveniently she wasn't around. But he couldn't fight a man like James, whether he was James or not, so he gave up and followed the group to 'Granny's diner', where a woman whose blood smelled different brought him an odd dish called 'lazanya'.

Snow (as the dark haired woman introduced herself as) and 'David' soon left the diner to go back to their 'apartment', and DreamyLeroy went to join a collection of five other men ( _his_ brothers) at the 'bar', although they ordered eight drinks (the two they set aside for their lost brothers, as Belle informed him). Belle herself stayed with Anton and explained how she had come to Storybrooke. She was not affected as badly by the Dark Curse, but came over with a group of comrades to find her True Love, reunite a friend with his, and try to save that of another. She stayed even when those friends arrived, a dark woman with armor and a sword glaring at him with mistrust, and a bubbly woman in purple beckoning a man with a large bow over. With the man came a third woman, she too with dark hair, as well as a small child balanced precariously on her hip. Belle embraced each in the order they arrived at the 'booth', and greeted the child with a smile. Belle was thanked by the third woman for 'freeing Robin from the beast' and the man (presumably Robin) shook his head at Belle after greeting Anton with a nod, and said she made friends too quickly.

After the small family left, and Belle informed the two women that 'Rumple was on his way back and would be there soon', Mulan and Aurora (as they were named) were dragged off to discuss 'Philip and crossbows' with the odd-blooded woman and her odd-blooded grandmother. Belle stayed with Anton for a short while longer, until a woman who apologised to him 'on behalf of her mother' scared her away. As he watched the odd people of the odd town come and go through the odd tavern, and as the woman with the strange blood (Red, she says, which is fitting) showed him to a room at the Inn that she runs, he wondered if he should tell the people, or at least Belle, about why Cora brought him here. To grow them all beans to take them home again.


	50. Chapter 50

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dun-dun-dunnnnn! A reaally short chapter, sorry guys D: Next one should be longer!

The car journey was taking forever, like seriously, _forever_ , and Henry was finding reasons to complain every five minutes (are we nearly there yet? I need to pee. I'm bored. Has Grams called about Archie? Are we nearly there yet?). Neal was arguing with his father about little details from their shared past, and Emma just wanted to throw herself out the door. At some point they started discussing something interesting, and she was able to tune back in as Gold explained why he had brought magic to Storybrooke. Neal yelled, like, _really_ loud when he first admitted it but calmed (a teensy bit) when he tried to explain. He couldn't be sure he could leave Storybrooke without something bad happening, and he needed to leave to find 'Bae'. At some point around the 'Welcome to Storybrooke sign' he said he would break the 'curse' if he could, now that he had Bae, and that a part of him wished he had when given the chance a few years before (because that 'poor decision', he said, costed him the most valuable thing he ever had). Neal had calmed down then (a teensy bit more), and went back to looking out the window. After a moment he looked back, and decided to ask the question Gold hadn't really given an answer to.

"So..." He began, like he always used to. "who's Belle?" Gold closed his eyes as they passed through the forest, and Emma pretended to text Mary Margaret as he gave his answer ( _hey. we're back. gold pissed, kid tired, neal reeeeally irritating. miss me?_ ). With a broken sigh he said 'I loved her, and she was a brief flicker of light amid an ocean of darkness. And then she died.' When Henry took a breath Emma should have braced herself for what came next, but she still turned to glare at her kid when he said 'no she didn't'. She heard a sharp inhale from Gold but ignored it, and only turned back to the road when Henry's eyes widened at whatever he could see. A few yards away, in front of Gold's hastily braking Cadillac, was a woman in a royal blue dress with dark hair piled messily on to of her head. She raised her arm and Emma saw the glint of metal. The car was jolted by a sudden movement, and Emma swore as it was flung through the air to crash into a tree. It landed upside down, and when Emma glanced to the side she saw Gold was gone and Henry was crying. Neal was trying to kick his door open whilst supporting Henry's neck at the same time. Glass skittered across the top (now bottom) of the car.

As Emma looked through the twisted metal and shattered glass, she saw something that made her blood run cold. Cora held a dagger. And before her knelt Rumplestiltskin.


	51. Chapter 51

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm no good at this D:  
> Also, no Tamara or Greg in this, I couldn't really think of a way to fit them in :/

Giving up on her door, which was jammed, Emma started working on the windshield of the car. Propelling her feet through it, she managed to force most of the glass from the frame. After finally managing to wriggle out of the car (on her stomach, ruining her signature leather jacket), she saw that Neal had already fetched Henry out. The Kid stumbled a bit, unsure on his feet, and Emma dashed over to make sure he was okay. By the time she was sure Henry was fine (if you ignored his forehead gash), Evil Witch No.1 had started yelling ('Did you really think your power would be enough to stop me? You are weak Rumplestiltskin, and a coward.') Neal had turned back to face his father (still angry about that, btw), and his face was paler than she'd ever seen it. Emma figured 'What the hell', and put her hand on his shoulder for support, then forced herself to walk forwards ( _so_ not thinking to herself that Cora was seriously fashionable - that dress was _awesome_. For a dress.)

But when the Supreme Psycho Bitch saw her, she raised the weird crooked dagger above her head (from this angle it looked like it had letters on it - weird), and looked at Gold. "Dark One" her voice was deep and booming and creepy "I command thee. Tear out her heart." Emma blinked in disbelief, and watched as the Pawnbroker turned to her, a manic grin on his face. His eyes were creepily empty though, and if anything they only looked sad. Before she had the chance to react he was before her, a deep red cloud rolling away from him. Then he thrust his hand in to her chest, and it hurt worse than before. She could hear Neal yelling, and Henry screaming, but it was all so far away... But then that familiar burning began, and this part she could remember. It spread through her chest and her toes, and even her hair, and then Gold was gone, shot to the other side of the road in a pulse of light.

Cora growled, and Emma figured she must have forgotten about that part. But then it was like she remembered herself, and she said "Never mind the girl. Kill the child. Kill Henry." Emma shook her head, screamed no, but it was like he couldn't hear her. He went for Henry anyway, stalking towards him. Henry was crying, and he screamed too, screaming for Mom. Emma knew he meant Regina. And Emma seriously hoped that people with magic had super hearing or something, 'cos they needed help. Before she'd finished the thought the 'Evil Queen' was beside her, Mary Margaret and David too. With shocked expressions they took in the scene.

Cora didn't notice the new arrivals, nor did Gold, Neal or Henry. The Witch was still screaming for Gold to kill Henry, and now the Kid was running. All three of his parents and all three (four? Did Cora count?) of his grandparents followed, and a flash of orange dashed across Emma's sight - the town line. But Gold had Henry by the throat now, and MM screamed and David lunged and Regina yelled "Get the dagger!" And then Regina disappeared, which was totally _not_ helpful. But Cora had turned around, and was directing her focus (and magic) at MM and David, so Emma figured she should at least do what the Mayor told her to do. Neal was keeping Gold back with his own cane, and protecting Henry as best he could, and Emma could do little else anyways. So she dashed forwards as Cora was distracted, and managed to grab the woman's outstretched arm (almost at the dagger, so close...) but then she and her 'parents' her thrown back by her magic, and she was further away than before (actually _behind_ Henry now, and she could see Gold's dead expression). She tried to move forwards but was blocked and could only watch as her son was about to die, Cora saying those with magic could not step past the barrier she had created... MM and David were right by the town line, the latter actually with his head past the orange.

At a sudden thought she realised something that could save Henry's life (Gold was choking him with magic now, and Emma hadn't noticed it but she was still sobbing and screaming), and she yelled (kind of) for Neal to push Henry towards her. He understood her arm gestures, or seemed to, and picked himself up off the floor where he'd been thrown. He forced himself up from what was clearly a twisted ankle, and grabbed his son- _Emma's_ son-by the back of his shirt and _shoved_. The Kid fell into her arms, and before she fell to the floor she used his momentum to turn and make a mad dash to the town line. She could feel the magic drawing her in but she went for it anyway. She made it anyway. She let out a breath and turned, and watched. Watched as Gold crossed over the line to follow her, blue magic enveloping his form then fading, the shadows falling from his eyes.

Magic didn't work outside of Storybrooke.

-

After he regained control of his car, he rather wished he'd kept on driving. The dizziness wore off in time for him to watch Cora raise her arm to fling his (really rather expensive) car backwards into a tree, and then to watch her raise his dagger from the edge of his peripheral and summon him to her side. After a dramatic Disney villain-esque monologue, during which he felt his very freedom drain away, ice creeping down his spine, she gave her first command. He was to kill the Savior, the mother of his grandchild, the love of his son's life. He inwardly screamed 'No!', whilst wondering why it would be a problem if she died, now that she had fulfilled her purpose. As he 'magicked' (as Miss Swan would no doubt put it) himself before her, he watched all the color fade from her face, but his hand was already in her chest before she had the chance to move.

His mind was still screaming for his body to stop, but to no avail. At least until he felt his hands go numb. A child borne of True Love... She had mentioned this to him, after her father had been saved. Looked like the heartless bitch had forgotten this tiny detail. He finally managed to look Swan in the eye before he gave the heart a final tug, and was banished to the other side of the road, and into the trees beyond. As he stumbled to his feet (even the curse of the Dark One couldn't fix his leg in this world) he heard Cora growl (actually _growl_ ) and change her command. Now she wanted him to kill an innocent child.

And people called _him_ the monster.

Still. He _was_ the one to make her this way, so.

It seemed like everyone was screaming now; Emma screaming 'No!', Baelfire screaming 'Let him go you evil witch!', Henry screaming for his mother, Cora screaming 'Destroy him!'. Even Rumplestiltskin was screaming, though you couldn't tell that from his soulless grin and empty eyes. He screamed on the inside, against the steel grip of the dagger. At some point, when he hadn't been paying much attention, he had moved towards the boy, who was paralysed by fear. With the speed and precision of a snake his arm shot for the child's throat, securing him in a death grip. His _own_ son had turned his back and was leaping for the cane that was abandoned on the ground. As Rumplestiltskin lifted his grandson from the ground, more voices joined in the screaming.

Now he heard fair Snow White, whose screams he had heard as he sat listening to her give birth from miles away in his lonely cell. He also heard Regina, who had clearly swapped sides (at least for the moment) as she yelled for someone, anyone, to grab his dagger. Clearly Cora had heard them too, since in mere moments the three (eldest) Charmings were flung past the Dark One and his son and grandson. Aforementioned son had at some point started to beat Rumplestiltskin's arm with his own cane, to no avail as the child continued to choke. Until he hit his leg at least, at which point he was for once grateful for the weakness of his human form. The boy fell to his knees and Bae dragged him back, the cane still in his grasp with the metal pointed threateningly at the Dark One. The command was still in effect, however, and where Rumplestiltskin would have gladly given up (would not have even attempted this cruel action), the Dark One in thrall was desperate to carry out the wishes of his dagger.

It was clear, to the darkest part of this monster's mind, that if he were ever going to kill the boy like he had been commanded, Baelfire would have to die first. So he took the cane from the man and threw it, then forced him to the floor, placing a choke hold on the child until he could deal with him. The blonde, her name no longer relevant to his mission, began to yell louder, and the man tried to force himself to his feet. He was unsteady on a now damaged leg, but still lurched forwards to grab the shirt of his victim. The boy was dislodged from the field of his magic, and hurled into the arms of the woman, who immediately turned and dragged the boy towards an orange line in the distance.

Rumplestiltskin, trapped within the mind of the Dark One, felt the very moment his magic was severed from the mother and her child, and silently, desperately wished for his body to cross the line after them. The Dark One was prowling closer, had reached Snow and Charming, had passed them, had reached the line, had crossed the line...

The ice fell from his spine. He was free again.


	52. Chapter 52

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Silly Charming

Emma stared at Gold for less than a minute before she surged forwards to whack the bastard in the face, but before she got the chance to yell and give him a piece of her mind, Cora started yelling. She was brandishing the weird dagger over her head and just being generally unpleasant, screaming her head off and what-not. Then Mary Margaret and David started speaking at once, were they okay, were they safe? Then _Neal_ came over and asked if _Gold_ was okay. He's just tried to kill Henry, but of course his well being was important!

She was kinda dazed for a moment, and lost track of what people were saying as Cora started hurling magic at the line and yelling when it dissipated, and Neal crossed the line to check on Henry too. The kid had collapsed into her arms, but she felt so numb, like the world was crushing her from all directions. He was alive though, and that was all that was important... all that was... she felt herself drifting... when had it become so...

quiet..?

-

Henry's throat was bruised and Emma had passed out, and the only two people that could reach them were the monster that had attacked them, and his son who had abandoned them. Her Charming begged for his family to be brought back over the line, but then Snow started to shake his arm, crushing it really, and he turned to see Cora collecting all the magic that she could. Her husband stepped in front of her to shield her body with his, and the Witch laughed at them, stating 'Love was weakness'. They both closed their eyes, prepared to die, and waited.

And waited.

She opened his eyes once more at Charming's gasp, and watched as Cora's laugh stuttered to a stop, and her expression changed to one of absolute horror. She whispered the word 'no...' as her knees buckled, and before her body could hit the floor Regina stepped out of a dark plume of smoke and caught her, lowering her to the ground. Charming moved forward at this betrayal (Regina had really been improving after the apology to Belle and Anton, even if there had been no apology to her family as of yet), but she drew him back when she realised Regina supported her mother with only one arm. The other was curled into a fist that pulsated red, and shrank as she clenched it further. Under her breath she apologised to her mother, and only by straining her ears could Snow hear the reply. "Love is weakness, you stupid girl. You stupid, stupid girl..."

With a broken sob Regina opened her fist, and released an handful of ash to the wind.

-

He felt rather than saw his wife move around him to try to comfort her Once-Stepmother, but before she could reach them both her and the body vanished into a cloud of smoke. He moved forwards to embrace her, and at the sound of groans turned back again to see Rumplestiltskin lead his son back over the line to heal his ankle, and then watched the both of them bring his child and grandchild back over the line. Bending down briefly to pick up the glinting object from the floor he moved to join them, and watched as the Dark One healed his family, and listened to his apology for his actions, caused by the only thing that could control him.

They promised to explain the situation to Emma, and upon realising the dagger was no longer where it had been dropped promised to retrieve it from Regina. Rumplestiltskin didn't seem to understand when Snow forgave him and thanked him, but nodded regardless, and together they began the trek back to town in silence, an unconscious Henry slung over the shoulders of his father, and an unconscious Emma draped over the arms of _her_ father. As they walked it occurred to David that these people were all his family now, each of them linked to one another by Henry's blood. He shook his head at the thought and shifted his arms, and the movement (whilst not dislodging Emma) almost dislodged the small weapon in his hand.

Whilst it probably wasn't the best idea in the world, having the means to control and command the Dark One would certainly have its upsides.


	53. Chapter 53

Belle walked with Mulan and Aurora from the Inn, Robin having moved in with Marion a few days before. Because of that he'd missed all the action that 'went down' at the diner the day before, namely Snow, David and Regina disappearing in a cloud of smoke shortly after the 'Evil Queen' fell to her knees clutching her head. Red (as they'd started to call her after Snow confirmed that she _was_ the werewolf) had, however, failed to 'phone' them to tell them what exactly what had happened, since none of them were seen again until early evening. Apparently something big had happened, if the whispers of the people they passed on the way to the diner were anything to go by.

They made it to the diner, though, and when there the 'big event' became apparent. Emma was sat talking to Red at the bar, a dejected expression on her face. Aurora immediately went forwards to speak with her, welcoming her back from 'Newerk' ("It's New York Aurora. As in like, the Big Apple. Never mind.") and asking her about the dragon she'd mentioned whilst back in the Enchanted Forest. Mulan shrugged and greeted Emma too, then went to speak to David about weaponry or some other such thing. Belle rolled her eyes, and went to speak with Snow. Somehow, the three 'Charmings' (as she had often heard them referred to as by several townspeople) managed to be the only three in the diner, but still took up three separate tables (or two tables and a very large portion of the bar).

As Belle sat down she noticed Snow playing a dagger through her fingers, twirling it as Red was wont to do with 'pens' (brilliant devices) when bored. As it spun she could see part of a word on it ('plesti'), and she asked after it. "Oh..." Snow began, snapped out of her reverie and blinking at the intrusion. "This is... Well. Its the Dark One's dagger, and it controls him. See, its got his name on it." At the look on Belle's face (which she was sure was a mixture of horror and disbelief) she elaborated saying "He left it on the road. Kind of." Which wasn't helpful in the slightest. But then she held it out (blade towards Belle, which made her draw her hands back) and said "I think you should have it. I doubt he'd hurt you for having it."

She warily reached out to take the dagger, maneuvering her arm around the crooked blade that was still pointed directly at her. As she removed it from Snow's grasp she registered what had been said. "Wait; you believe me?" She could feel her grin stretching the scars on her cheeks but she barely registered it, and Snow nodded, smiling too. "I read your story."

Yes, because that made so much sense.

-

Regina had walked all the way from the crypt where her mother's body now lay, ignoring the stares and whispers she received from those around her, and flinching when people flinched away from her. This fear had been what she wanted, but she hated it now. She sighed as she passed Archie, the only person who had bothered to smile sincerely at her, and passed the sign for the diner. As she pushed open the door (with that God-awful bell) she groaned internally as she realised her bad timing. Belle, the Warrior and their Princess friend were there, and the Charmings too. The three of them she _didn't_ want to talk to.

She went in anyway, the bell ringing as she let the door close again, and, upon making eye contact with the Sheriff, asked after Henry. Apparently he was 'with Neal', which was not the answer she had been hoping for. She frowned as Miss Swan shrugged and said "They want to get to know each other. I can't deny the Kid that. Even if I'd rather deny his father it." The last part was under her breath as she turned back to her drink that was, as always, cinnamon hot chocolate. As Regina turned away to see Snow beckoning her over she heard 'Sleeping Beauty' (as this world had dubbed her) asking after Henry too, saying 'it would be nice to meet him in a place that isn't on fire'.

She begrudgingly joined her ex-stepdaughter at her table, pulling up a chair since Belle occupied the other one. She thought it was bad enough being trapped at the table with the Beauty and the Bandit Queen, but it got worse after Snow started pestering her about her mother. For a solid five minutes Regina managed to ignore her and instead focused on the way Belle traced the letters on the dagger she was holding, but soon enough blocking out Snow's voice became impossible. Particularly when she started to apologise; the girl was too damn noble to have done anything wrong.

"I'm sorry, by the way. About Daniel I mean." Oh. "I know I promised not to tell but... well. I thought your mother wanted what was best for you, wanted what would make you happy. I'm sorry that I got him killed..." By this point Belle was discretely looking up at the two of them through her lashes, pretending she wasn't listening, dagger forgotten, and tears were beginning to prick the corners of Regina's eyes. It took her a moment, but eventually she noticed that Snow's hand was on hers, lifting it and squeezing gently. Looking down at their joined hands, at the hands she had held in the same way when they were smaller in a bid to offer comfort, she felt an odd sort of weightlessness. The kind that came with a sudden realisation that took far too long to be realised.

She looked back up at her stepdaughter's face (or her chin, which was close enough) and took a breath, faltering a few times before she choked out what she wanted to say. "I think... I think I forgive you. It wasn't your fault, and my mother would have found out eventually anyway... I think I blamed you because I didn't want to blame my mother but... She tried to kill my son yesterday, my _son_." She shook her head and finally met Snow's eyes. "It wasn't your fault, she would've... found out anyway. I'm sorry for casting the curse. I don't regret it, because of Henry, but I'm sorry." Now both of them were crying, and it was embarrassing and Regina didn't know where all of the words were coming from. But Snow was smiling encouragingly, and there was one more thing Regina wanted to get off her chest. She turned to Emma, who was desperately trying to explain to Aurora that thunder was _not_ created by magic or Gods, and in a lull in her monologue said "And I'm sorry for killing Graham." She turned back to Snow's saddened gaze and shaking head before the Sheriff could say anything, and promptly heard the sound of disturbed glasses that made it sound like the blonde had brought her fist down on the counter.

Perhaps she should also have apologised for murdering Leopold, or separating Snow and Charming, or putting her stepdaughter under a curse, but she could do that in the future. Doing it would also be admitting that she had wasted the better part of her life doing pointless things, and without her vengeance she had nothing.

Well. Perhaps not _nothing_.


	54. Chapter 54

Neal (his _dad_ ) and Mr Gold (his _grandfather_... Gramps? Grandpa? Grandpa-Stiltskin? Perhaps just grandpa for now) were in the pawnshop at the moment, arguing again ("I don't care, you didn't need to bring all of these people here. Not like this!"), so Henry had snuck out to find his mom. Moms. Either one would be fine. So he walked (he was so not skipping) down the street to the diner, to see if he could find them there. His backpack hit against his spine, the edges of 'Once Upon a Time' thumped as he skipp-walked. He saw Jiminy and Pongo out for their walk as he went, and they were able to confirm that his both his moms were at the diner. He smiled and thanked them and continued on his way, patting the dalmatian as he went.

When he reached the diner, flinging the door open to hear the bell ring, he was greeted enthusiastically by Red, who gave him a hug and said she and Granny were really glad 'the young Prince was okay' (Granny's words, not Red's). He smiled up at her and watched as she skipped (properly skipped, not like his jumpy walk) back behind the counter, and then saw his mom at the counter too. Her forehead was resting against the cool metal, and a young brunette was staring at her, worried. As he moved forwards he realised the woman was familiar, and it took a moment to figure out why. As he patted his mother on the back he realised where he'd seen her before - in a windowless room that was constantly burning.

"Aurora! I forgot you were in Storybrooke!" He jumped up enthusiastically (he's a kid, he's allowed to), and gave her a hug that she warmly returned. She said it was nice to see him again, and hoped that not seeing him recently in the Netherworld meant his dreams had gone away. He was kinda sad that Aurora's dreams were still there, but maybe they'd go away with time like his had, now she was with friends. While he nodded at her she beckoned at someone behind him, and he turned to see a dark haired lady in armor stand up from Gramps' table and come over. She bowed to him and said 'Little Prince', and he grinned and bowed elegantly (clumsily) back. She smiled then and told him she was Mulan, which he already knew, and he told her he was Henry, which she probably already knew and he smiled excitedly at her. He remembered looking at her poem 'once' with Grams, whilst he was in her class. They studied it everyday before they finished off their bird houses, but that wasn't the point. He chatted with the two and his mom excitedly for a moment, before he remembered that it wasn't just the two of them.

"Hey, is Robin Hood here too? It would be so cool to meet him..." He trailed off as he scanned the diner, and his eyes stopped at a table where his _other_ mom (the 'evil' one, like the 'Other Mother' from Coraline) was trying to discretely remove her hand from Grams'. It looked like the both of them were crying a little bit, or had been. Then he saw the third person at their table, whose ocean-blue eyes gazed at him curiously behind a curtain of hair. He fist-pumped when he recognised her from his book, and his mind completely skipped over the evil-looking dagger she held in her hand as he grabbed her wrist and tugged her to her feet. 

"Belle, yes! OPERATION TEACUP BEGINS!!!"

The last thing he heard as he dragged her out the door (besides the really loud bell) was his mom saying 'Oh dear God', and his _other_ mom saying 'Will somebody please explain what 'Operation Teacup' is?'


	55. Chapter 55

She'd sat in the diner fiddling with the dagger that Snow White had given her (the one that would control her True Love - was it really better that she had it? She didn't think she could bare it if he accused her of trying to steal his power again) when Regina stalked in, a raging ball of pain disguised as anger. She listened to the confession of Graham's murder, and Regina soon explained that he had been a bearded man that communicated with wolves in the old world. She thought she could remember him. He was one of the few guards that had not struck her. She managed to overhear a lot whilst in that diner, including Mulan and 'Charming' comparing the times they had each fought a dragon. Mulan had killed hers faster, but said it was commendable that Charming had survived, particularly since he hadn't started off with a sword, and couldn't wield it anyway. Apparently the Prince (King, now) used to be a Shepherd - oh the things you learn by eavesdropping.

Her data collection was interrupted when a young boy (Henry, as it turned out) burst dramatically into the diner. It took no time at all for him to spot her, and then she was dragged out of the diner. He rambled to her as he dragged her down the street, and stopped dragging when he realised she was more than content to walk (at a reasonable pace for so early in the morning) with him. He told her that her dress looked 'just like it did in the book', and before she could ask what in the name of the God's this book was, he proclaimed 'We're here'. She hadn't even had the chance to ask what Operation Teacup was, let alone where they were going.

As they stepped through the door, young Henry making an effort to _not_ make the bell start ringing, it became apparent that they were interrupting something. Coming out of the back of the shop, which was just as dark and depressing as the front of the shop, was a tallish man followed by a shorter man, who couldn't have been much taller than Belle. The shorter man was dressed impeccably, in a 'suit and tie', as it was called, and had a cane to support him. The taller man was less well dressed, loose fitting clothes and a jacket like Emma's, and was yelling. "No Papa; not until you've proved you've changed." She didn't know what they were arguing about, and if they said anything after that gave it away, she didn't hear it.

She was too focused on wondering why the shorter man looked so familiar. She let out a gasp when she recognised him, let out a gasp that alerted the yelling men to their presence. She was glad for the darkness in the shop that hid her scars from Rumplestiltskin. Rumplestiltskin, with a human face.

Now that the tall(er) man was no longer focused on Rumple he saw Henry, and greeted him with a 'Hey Kid' that was met with a 'Hey Dad'. Before she could focus on that revelation (this was Henry's father? Even in the darkness she could see the likeness around their eyes) her attention was caught by her True Love. "Young Henry, who is your friend? I don't believe I've met her before." In the poor light of the shop he could barely see her, since the weak light from the curtained windows didn't fall on her face like it did his. He leaned closer and squinted, and she unconsciously stepped back, aware of his steely gaze and the heavy, humming dagger she held in her hand. She was almost glad Rumple couldn't see her, but it was inevitable that Henry would intervene.

"Yes you have Mr Gold. You just can't see her very well. Here, I'll show you. He ran behind 'Mr Gold' to the counter, and the boy's father watched him go. He flicked one of those odd switches on the wall and the dim lights in the shop turned on. Dim, but bright enough to see clearly. Belle blinked at the sudden onslaught of light, and raised her hand to shield her eyes. When she opened them again, offering a weak and nervous smile, the man before her had blanched. In fact, both men had. Rumplestiltskin was focused on her face, and he whispered her name like a prayer. Then his gaze strayed to where the other man's had.

In the hand that Belle had raised to her face was the kris dagger, and it flashed in the light.


	56. Chapter 56

Before him was an apparition - it could be nothing else. It looked like his Belle, and smiled like his Belle, but it wasn't her. Her face was scarred, which was odd because he'd never imagined her that way before, but she was wearing the cloak and the dress that he had grown used to her wearing (that he had taken for granted, seeing them everyday). He was wholly convinced it was just another ghost from his past, even as she nervously bit her-its-lip, until he saw the dagger. He stared at the dagger, scanned it with his magic, and confirmed that it was indeed his.

This wasn't an apparition. This was a trick.

-

She saw the moment he decided she was an enemy. His eyes hardened and she saw the empty fire that he didn't even _try_ to conceal behind them. He had thought she was dead, and now that she was before him he believed her against him. He asked her who she was supposed to be, what she thought she could achieve - was she Regina? Cora, not really dead? He moved towards her and she tried desperately not to back away, but the way he moved, prowled, made her afraid. He invaded her personal space in a way that made her feel threatened, and even out of the corner of her eye she could see the way his hand tightened on his cane. He raised it off the floor, the tip sweeping upwards, and it was the man who yelled 'Papa!' that stopped him, bringing his arm back down again.

Rumplestiltskin turned to glare at this man (his son, once lost but found again, when had that happened?), and when he turned back to her Belle had steeled herself, straightened her spine and now held the dagger out towards him. If he wanted to, he could push on her hand and force the blade into her stomach, which she really hope he wouldn't do. But when he saw the offering his eyes hardened further and he drew his lips back to sneer at her. She rolled her eyes, the same way she did when he pulled faces at her back home at the Dark Castle, and grabbed his hand. She forced his fingers open and thrust the dagger into it, and then crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm still not afraid of you Rumplestiltskin."

"I don't know who you think you are dearie, but this trick won't work. I know that Belle is dead, so you might as well give up now." She didn't even get the chance to open her mouth before Henry leaped in saying "But it really is her, Mr Gold. Mom lied, see, but Belle's still alive." But Rumplestiltskin just turned his glare on the child, who to his credit didn't flinch, and named him other half of this cruel operation. He decided they were Cora and Regina, 'since they were the only ones who would do something so cruel', and informed them that, since his son (the words 'my son' held a implied severe pain if any harm come to him) disapproved of violence, he would be ignoring their existence. He stalked off to the back of the shop again, and Belle watched him go, a little more heartbroken than before. He had (albeit accidentally) accused her of being in league with Regina once again.

Henry, who clearly wasn't the kind of child to give up, went over to his father and pulled something out of his bag. "If he won't listen, maybe you will." He passed over a book, presumably _the_ book, and directed his father (currently nameless in Belle's mind) to a page about two thirds of the way through. Then he left the man to it, and rejoined Belle saying 'He'll come around. I'm sorry about the ending to your story, by the way." Belle really had no idea what that meant, and watched as the man confusedly went to sit down at Rumple's counter.

About an hour after they arrived, in which Rumplestiltskin didn't reappear and 'Neal' didn't look up from the book, the two primary members of 'Operation Teacup' ('we're going to reunite the two of you, and teacups have nothing to do with True Love' - Henry's undeniable logic) got bored and began to wonder. Henry was looking at the creepy marionettes that Belle was avoiding even as she felt their eyes on her, and Belle herself was tugging at the curtains. It seemed he'd nailed them down in this world too. With a shake of her head and a chuckle Belle did what she'd done in the Enchanted Forest - inadvertently tugged the curtains down. At least she wasn't on a ladder this time. She discretely glanced over her shoulder to see that neither of the men had noticed the commotion, and Henry was smirking at her. She shrugged at him and turned back to the now bare windows, kneeling down to place the curtains, plus curtain rails, on the (dusty) floor.

She edged away from the window before Neal could look up from the book, and continued to peruse the objects on display. She admired the golden fleece from the Dark Castle, hidden away and dusty, but there if you looked. She could see what looked suspiciously like Robin's bow, and she was sure he would want it back. Her attention was grabbed by something else though, a small, unassuming object that she hadn't expected him to keep. She lunged for it, running her fingertips across it, and succeeded in shoving a pretty, unfamiliar and incredibly loud curved lamp onto the floor.

She wrapped her hands around the delicate object just in time for a hand to roughly drag her away from the counter. Rumplestiltskin yelled and raged, back facing her, as he carefully knelt down to retrieve the lamp. As he placed it back in his place, and immediately noticed the missing object, effectively erasing any doubt remaining in her mind that he had missed her. He yelled again, back still turned. "Where is it!?!" By this time Neal had rushed over, trying to calm his father who just shrugged off his hands. "Where's what, Papa?" Rumple turned back to Belle, and soon noticed what she held "Where's... you!" She ignored him, though, and just stared at the damaged porcelain in her hands.

"You kept it. My chipped cup." She raised the cup at the last part, smiling down at it, and raised her eyes to Rumplestiltskin as the first tears fell. She tried to blink them away and sniffled as she failed. She didn't care. He had kept it, and that meant had missed her; had wanted her to come back. She smiled as she watched his face change with the realisation, but she wasn't sure if the horror she saw was something she should be smiling about.

"Belle..?" His arm stretched out to touch her face. "It's... really you... You're alive..."


	57. Chapter 57

At first he hadn't believed it was her; had wanted to, wasn't able to. But now, watching the way she cried over their teacup... there was no doubt in his mind that this was her. So he reached out to touch her, just to be sure, and she leaned into his palm. He smiled at her in wonder, unable to say anything outside of a statement of the obvious. Her smile grew in response, and he was glad to see her scars didn't obstruct its beauty. Then he registered the scars.

"Who did this to you Belle? Who did this to you!?" He was raising his voice, but he knew she knew the anger wasn't directed at her. He ran his thumb over the mark, shallow and superficial to be sure, but permanent all the same. Her eyes dropped from his and she began to open and close her mouth, trying to find the words. After a few moments of hesitation (that felt like multiple lifetimes, but any lifetimes he lived he would be glad to share with her) she met his gaze and said: "It was Regina, when she tried to capture me. Her guards did this to me." His hands balled into fists either side of his face, and he bared his teeth in rage.

"I'll kill her!" "You won't." "I wi-" "-Promise me you won't, Rumplestiltskin. Promise me." He had already moved around his Belle, to the door to find the Evil Queen. "Don't defend her Belle; not every monster deserves another chance." He was half-facing her now, and she shook her head at him sadly. "She's not a monster Rumplestiltskin, and neither are you. Stop thinking like that. Besides, she's already apologised." He turned to face her fully, and was partly aware of his son and grandson shifting in the background; one confused, the other excited. "Sweetheart, sorry doesn't make up for the fact she locked you away and hurt you." Belle had his hands in hers now, gripping him around the handle of his cane. "I said she captured me, Rumple, I never said she kept me." He blinked at her, confused, and watched from the corner of his eye as Bae lowered his head to Henry's and said 'She called him Rumple' like it was the oddest thing in the world. "I was freed on the way to her castle by a Warrior and a Prince, one of which came with me here to Storybrooke." He stared at her for a moment, before realising the curse had never done to her what it had done to him.

She had always remembered what he had said and done to her, and had had to live with that for almost 30 years. He blinked heavily and realised that he, like she, was crying, and wondered when that had started. She was watching him sadly, seeming to take his silence for a negative thing. His face crumpled as she broke eye contact and looked to the floor, and before he registered what he was doing he had collected her into his arms. "I'm so sorry my Belle; I'm sorry, really I am. I'm sorry for throwing you out, and what I said, and for acting like my power was more important than you." He felt her arms encircle him too, and heard her whisper, for his ears only, "I forgive you, Rumplestiltskin." He held her tighter.

When he was once again able to focus on something other than the sound of her breathing, the smell of her hair and the feel of skin, he became aware that Bae and Henry were still watching them, with matching expressions of shock and awe on their faces. He released Belle, who promptly smiled at him and wiped away her tears. He smiled back and stepped around her to motion to Bae, beckoning him forward. He took an awkward half-step, but that would have to do for now.

"Baelfire, this is Belle, my True Love (she smiled nervously at that, and gave a nervous wave). Belle, this is Baelfire, my son. He's the reason I couldn't let go of my power. I needed to find him again." He gazed at her imploringly, searching for signs of forgiveness, but she was leaning forwards and analysing his son, who was analysing her. When she straightened back up she nodded and said "I'm glad you found him again" and smiled her blinding smile (and he knew he'd have to explain the circumstances of their separation, but that could wait) and added "He has your eyes. And Henry has his eyes." Her smile got wider, and he smiled to see it - at the joy she felt at being introduced to his son (he could feel it roll off her in waves), and at the fact he'd never expected to see it again. It could light up his world.


	58. Chapter 58

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> These last two are kind of more 'epilogue-y' chapters :) Sorry this one is late -.-'

Belle had quite expected their reunion (if it were ever to occur) to happen in private, but she found herself rather glad that Henry and Baelfire were there too. She felt an unhampered excitement at meeting Rumple's family, and it distracted her from his human face. Not that it was unattractive (he could never not be attractive), but she wondered how he had it. He'd introduced her as his 'True Love', but perhaps you could have more than one. Or perhaps they could change. She tried not to dwell on it though, and when Baelfire (or Bae or Neal, depending upon which of them you asked) said he'd been told she was dead, she explained that that was a lie to keep Rumple from finding her. Philip had told her as they traveled that they were in what was considered 'Maleficent's Territory', Maleficent being a sorceress so powerful that even the Dark One avoided her (She's irritating as Hell, dearie, of course I avoid her), and the entire area was shrouded by magic. He would never have found her there.

This topic distracted her for a while, but it didn't take long for the silence to come back, as Henry flicked through the pages of Belle's story, showing them to Rumplestiltskin. In the end she just had to ask, so she did. "Did somebody break your curse?" She'd startled Rumple out of his reading, and he blinked a few times before he registered the question. In the end though he nodded, going back to his reading, and she felt her heart shatter in her chest, and her stomach turn to lead. Her shoulders drooped and all she could say was "Oh..." 

She removed her arms from the table they were all crowded around, one Rumple had in the back of his shop. She leaned back in her chair (which was suspiciously more comfortable than the other three, and she thought it may have started off on Rumplestiltskin's side of the desk) and brought her feet up on to it, still clad in her warm white boots. She hugged her knees, laying her head on her shoulder, and just stared at the scars on her arms (Rumple had asked if she had many more scars, and she had removed her cloak to show them - they cut across her forearms, more of them clustered at the tops of her arms above the elbows. Some were deep and some were shallow, but they had each had 30 years to heal, so the pain was a distantly unpleasant memory).

After a few minutes of silence broken only by Rumple turning pages (and Belle angrily swiping her cheeks to remove her tears), Henry finally shattered it completely. "Hey, grandpa, I don't think you guys are thinking of the same curse." When Rumple looked up, Henry directed his gaze to Belle who sniffled a little, and shifted her head to better see him. Rumple just frowned for a moment until it dawned on him what Henry meant, at which point he began to shake his head, flinging his hair back and forth as he denied it. "I meant the Dark Curse my Belle. That's the curse that is broken, the one I made to find my son. Not the curse of the Dark One. Only you can break that curse Belle; there's only you I love." Now he was reaching for her, all but begging her with his eyes to believe him.

She was too unfocused for a moment to focus on him though, as the weightless feeling returned. The words she'd waited decades to hear, he'd finally said them. He loved her, and he loved her enough to say it out loud, in front of other people. All three of them were staring at her now, though, so she shook herself out of it and leaned forwards to clasp his hands.

"I love you too."


	59. Chapter 59

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter, woohoo!!  
> (Posted in 2013 again D: )

He'd finished the book, and was frustrated to learn that Prince Philip had found Belle, and had protected her. Partly out of jealousy, but mostly because his Princess had summoned him to ask him to return her love to human form. She'd had nothing to give so he had declined (and besides that would be meddling, and Maleficent would never let up), and then removed the memory of him from her mind after she summoned him repeatedly after figuring out how - if she irritated him long enough, surely he'd help just to shut her up, right? Wrong. Mae would pester him about it for years, and besides; why should he help _her_ back to her True Love? His was dead. But if he'd helped, he would no doubt have learnt that she _wasn't_.

But he had more pressing issues to address, such as why Belle hadn't come over with the curse. So he asked about it. Apparently Cora had no qualms about meddling in other's magic, and had manipulated a part of the Enchanted Forest so as to avoid the curse. Belle had stayed there with Mulan and Philip, someone that sounded suspiciously like Mother Gothel (whose daughter had dealt with him years ago, in exchange for some of her magic hair, which helped prevent death during the curse) as well as the Cheshire Cat, who Gods knew how had escaped Wonderland before Cora got there. Aforementioned psychopath had been there in a hole in the ground (though not the kind he would prefer), and so had one 'Killian Jones'. A one-handed Pirate that went by Captain Hook (who Bae knew, by the look on his face), and was now dead. He wouldn't be missed. Neither would Cora, it seemed, as he informed Belle of her death. The sadness lasted but a moment.

Then he asked how they got here (a ridiculous stroke of luck that, finding two working fairy wands. He was less than impressed to learn one had been supplied by the Thief Robin Hood, but he could get over that). More important, though, was the question 'why?' They were home, in a land they could function in. They were free, were protected, and actually understood the way things worked without the added confusion of technology. Why come to Storybrooke?

Belle, as it turned out, had planned to return to the Dark Castle but never got the chance, especially not after she agreed to join Prince Philip's quest and the whole 'Dark Curse' thing. So that had been one half of Belle's reason. The other half (that the Warrior and the Princess agreed with her on) was that Prince Philip needed to be saved. Apparently a Wraith had come through a magic portal, and Philip had touched its medallion. It had chased him down with the intention of stealing his soul, and had unfortunately succeeded. Rumplestiltskin kept his silence on the matter.

Henry didn't.

"Isn't that what you did to my mom? Cursed her with an amulet I mean. That's why Mom and Grams got sent to the Enchanted Forest, 'cos they tried to get rid of the Wraith." Henry stared at him, head tilted to one side, and Bae rolled his eyes and rubbed his forehead. Belle glared. "Will you help us find him?" She raised her eyebrows at him expectantly, and he sighed. "I suppose I'll have to pay Hades a visit then. That Wraith owes me a favor anyway." "Wait, is he real too?" He gave his son a pointed look, and said nothing. His grandson, very predictably, said 'awesome!'

Now he'd have to plan out how to save a soul. And figure out a way back to the Enchanted Forest. And deal with Regina. And tell Belle that he assaulted her father. All he really wanted to do, though, was to kiss his True Love. Properly, like he'd wanted to that disastrous day back in the Dark Castle.

But there would be time for that.

There would be time for everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who read this fic, and liked this fic, and commented on this fic! It was loads of fun, and you guys were awesome! *Hugs!*


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